Porcelain
by MangaAnimeLover
Summary: [New summary]: She challenged him. He won. Now Korra is held captive by the Equalists and has become the centre of Amon's final plan to destroy the Avatar forever. But when lines are crossed and feelings get involved, nothing is that simple anymore... Amorra / Amon X Korra. Rated M for LEMON and RAPE! [Soon to be completed!]
1. Darkness

_**Summary: **She was so fragile, so deliciously fragile. He would watch her break under him; under his word, his touch. He would drive her out where she did not even know herself anymore, out where she would drown in self-disgust and insecurity. And he would enjoy every bit of it._

_**Pairing:** Amon X Korra._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Avatar: Legend of Korra", nor do I own any of the characters from the series. However, I do own this fan fiction, seeing as I have written it. Please, do not re-post this story anywhere without my written consent. Thank you!_

_**Warning:** This fan fiction will contain adult themes later on (rape, sex, violence, bad language, etc.). Please do only read it if you are mature enough to handle these things._

_**Comments, feedback, and fan art is highly appreciated! :3**_

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**Chapter 1: Darkness**

She had been so sure of herself, of her choice. She had asked Tenzin, Mako, and Bolin not to follow her; this was her fight, and her fight alone. She would win it, fair and square. And she would teach Amon who she really was, and what she stood for.

But as she slipped into the shadows of the temple on Aang Memorial Island, Korra was not so sure anymore. The air around her was still, leaving her only with her own breath and a distant buzz from the city outside to keep her company.

Her footsteps echoed down along the hallways of the temple as she went. The cold made her shutter for an instant, and she embraced herself to warm her bare arms as she looked around. The silence, the darkness, the cold, the concrete bricks around her – it all reminded her of a graveyard. How ironic. A bitter smile graced her lips shortly.

A sudden sound in the darkness before her made her forget everything about the concrete and the cold.

"Amon?" she called, unaware of the sudden hard pounding in her chest. "I know you are there. Show yourself!" A moment of silence. Then she heard footsteps. Hundreds of footsteps. Korra had already started to back away before the army of Equalists came into sight, slipping out of the shadows, revealing one darkly clad warrior after the other. But no Amon, Korra noticed, her face betraying her disappointment.

"Whe-" she began, but was cut off by a well-known voice from behind her.

"Good evening, Avatar," Amon's dark voice sounded, sending goose bumps all over Korra's tanned skin as she turned around to face him. "I am surprised to find you here after all. I was sure you had regretted your challenge and fled the scene in the last moment. I see you did not. Which was very foolish of you."

"Amon," Korra hissed, backing away from her nearing opponent, oblivious to the fact that she was getting closer to his army instead. Before she realized her mistake, Amon had already snapped his fingers. Three men stepped forward and grabbed her; two grabbed her upper arms while the third grabbed her hair and forced her head forward, until she was pushed down onto her knees. Only her head was then released, allowing her to scowl up at the man stopping right before her. The white porcelain mask smirked provocatively at her, and the golden eyes behind it watched her intensely.

"You broke the deal," the girl hissed again. "You were to come alone. But I guess you were too afraid to take any risks. You are afraid of _me_." The last sentence was said with a sly smile on her lips, noticed immediately by the tall figure before her. A brief silence incited her to continue her harsh words, but she was cut off again, this time by him chuckling.

_Chuckling?_ Her eyes widened as she realized that she had never heard him laugh before. Was he amused by her words? Did he not believe her? She felt her temper start to boil.

As Amon's laughter faded, he knelt down to her level and grabbed her chin with his gloved hand, squeezing tightly and forcing her face just an inch closer to his own. She stared right through the eye slits and into his eyes. Golden met teal.

"I never agreed to come alone," he then said, his voice deep and serious. "I am not playing by your rules, Avatar. I am playing by my own." Korra's eyes narrowed. Her temper was now close to boiling over._ How dare he!?_

Trying to yank her arms free from their capture, she realized she was in no position to attack. If her arms were released, she would gain over-balance and fall upon her face right on Amon's shoes. Nothing would be more humiliating. Instead, she spat in the man's face, ignoring the fact that she would only hit his mask. But it was the message behind her action that mattered.

And the message he got for sure. Without any audible order, Korra was released. The girl fell to the ground before she had even managed to prepare herself for her sudden release. Her nose brushed the shoes of the Equalist Leader briefly, causing a flash of humiliation and anger to cross her features. A shade of red rose to her cheeks. Korra knew of several cultures where people bent down and kissed the feet of great persons, whom they respected and would obey. It was a gesture of showing submissiveness, and she herself had just been forced to do it.

Did Amon know of these foreign rituals? If he did, her accident was sure to please him. Looking up, she was reminded that she could not read him. Only a painted smile met her eyes. It made her even more uncomfortable not knowing his thoughts.

"How does it feel to bite the dust unwillingly, Avatar?" the man questioned, his voice dripping with poisonous triumph. Korra refused to answer him. She would not let him win this little mind game of his.

"This is how non-benders feel around you benders," Amon continued, placing his black boot onto her back, pressing, leaving marks. "Fear. Helplessness. _Pain_." By his last words, he stomped down onto her, forcing a sickly sound of cracking bones from her back. The air was knocked out of Korra's lungs, and she gasped, overwhelmed by the throbbing feeling of pain.

Spitting on the ground, Korra managed to climb to her feet despite the aching in her back. Amon stepped back a bit and allowed the girl upon feet, his soldiers readying themselves for a fight. Korra could feel the Equalists behind her become tense with anticipation. Amon, however, stood casual before her with his smiling porcelain mask greeting her. His eyes watched her closely.

"Benders are no different from non-benders. Yes, there are assholes among us, but do not tell me all non-benders are innocent. Cruelty is not a bender thing; it is a _human_ thing, and it is not something to disappear just because you forbid bending," Korra said, her voice hoarse and angry in a way different from before, which amused Amon greatly. The girl was so predictable. He could manipulate her, if he wanted to.

Or he could break her. It hit him like a lightning from a clear sky, spreading terrible thoughts in his darkened mind. He could play with her and _then_ break her. How deliciously horrible.

Had his face not been hidden by a mask, Korra would have seen an expression that would freeze her insides with fear.

"Your words do not convince me, Avatar. I have seen things more horrible than you can even imagine, done by your kind," Amon's dark voice sounded again. There was something different in his voice now, too, Korra noticed. Figuring that he had just attempted to end their conversation, she was reminded of which reason they both had shown up on the small island. _Right_, the girl thought to herself. _If I cannot convince him to step down, I must stop him by force. I cannot let him start this war._

"The most horrible person is you, Amon. And this is why I am here to stop you," said the Avatar, taking a fighting stance. "But I am only going to fight _you_. Let your pawns step down. Fight me one on one."

"Alright," answered the man behind his mask. A simple hand gesture signalized for the Equalists to step back, and the hundred men slipped back into the shadows of the temple.

Amon barely had the time to take a fighting stance too, before Korra darted forward, sending stone blocks from the floor straight against her opponent, who expertly managed to dodge all of them with a surprising grace. With a frown, she let the stone floor beneath the man raise and crumble. Amon leaped away, somersaulting in mid-air as he did.

Realizing her Earth bending did not work on him, Korra drew on her powers and created a snake of water from the sea around the island, letting it dart right for the white porcelain mask that smiled provocatively at her. Also this time did the man manage to dodge her attack rather gracefully, although she could see he had been hit. His arm was soaked.

Letting the water fall down onto the floor, she raised a column of ground and stone beneath her, and before Amon jumped again, she let the water freeze into thick ice.

When Amon realized he had been trapped, he frowned. As long the Avatar held the ice solid, he could not move around. He was running out of options. He would have to reveal his true powers before her.

Korra leaped down and sent bolts of fire toward her opponent, who only had mobility enough to block and dodge most of them. A bolt graced his upper arm, searing though the cloth. She heard a grunt from Amon and felt victorious. She was so close to winning!

However, as she stood two meters from the Equalist Leader, ready to send another wave of flames, her body froze completely, crushed by an invisible force. Panic filled her mind. _How in the world...!?_

As Korra lost control of her bending, the ice thawed beneath them. Instead of falling, she was raised into the air. Amon's movements revealed that he was the man behind it. Korra's eyes widened in realization. He was _bending_.

For a moment, Korra was shocked. The Equalist Leader was a bender! She could barely believe it, but she knew this event – although utter unexpected and dramatic – could not be allowed to steal her focus. She was in battle. And she could not allow a bender – a _blood_ bender, of all things – to win this war. If he managed to get control over the entire Republic City, Korra dared not imagine what horrible things he would do and let happen to people, especially the benders.

Korra was ripped away from her horrible thoughts by something even worse. Towards her came Amon, a painted smile on his mask but narrowed eyes behind it, golden glinting with ferocity. As he neared, Korra tried to move, but it only resulted in futile spasms. The only thing she could feel was pain, and her heart which was racing behind her ribcage, almost hurting her from the inside.

Amon reached out for her. Korra was sure her life as a bender was about to end here. He would take her bending away, right then and there. Her job as the Avatar was coming to an end. She could feel how tears started welling up in her eyes. Just before Amon's hand touched her skin, she flinched away as much as she could.

"Please," she begged silently. Her plead was sweet music to his ears, and a smirk was brought to his face. Yes, indeed he could break her. And he would enjoy it.

"Do not worry, Avatar. I have plans. And I am saving you for last." The girl barely had time to take in his words before his hand caressed her neck shortly in search for one certain nerve point to press. With a gasp, Korra's world went black instantly.

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"What do you mean with 'She has disappeared'!?" Mako almost growled in exasperation, having feared this would happen. Tenzin sighed and sat down on the chair which Pema had just pulled out for him. He murmured her a thank and watched the Fire bender pace along the floor, a deep frown on the boy's face. Bolin stepped forth to his brother. Having heard the news before him and already overcome the flash of anger and anxiety it had brought, he placed a hand on Mako's firm shoulder.

"I am sure she is alright. She is _Korra_, remember?" Bolin said with a smile. "She has most likely just pursued Amon as he fled the island in horror. Maybe she is lost somewhere in the city and trying to find her way back here." He was trying to be optimistic, he really did. But it was as if it did not really convince himself. He did believe that Korra was alright. She was strong and clever enough to avoid putting herself in dire danger. But he truly had no idea of where she was, and he did not believe that she was on her way home. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him that she was still in danger and in need of their help.

Tenzin rubbed his temples for a moment.

"The temple shows signs of a fight, but there is no blood and no bodies. As Bolin said, it is more likely that they have moved their battle to somewhere else. Or..." the man said, stopping as a realization hit him.

"She has been kidnapped," Mako finished his sentence, anger burning in his eyes. "Amon took her!"

Okay, now Bolin was getting nervous, he had to admit.

"But what would he want with her?" the younger brother asked, not realizing how many terrible answers he could possibly get. "If Amon wanted to take away her bending, he could have done so in the temple. Or if he wanted to... kill.. Korra..." His voice died out as the thought really seeped into his mind. No, Amon would not kill her. He would more likely just ruin her reputation and humiliate her.

"My guess would be that he plans take away her bending in public," Mako said, having just sat down by the table as well. "Which means that we still have time to rescue her."

Pema was also getting nervous. Perhaps she could ease the tension a bit.

"Korra is a strong woman," she spoke softly, pouring tea for the three males. "I am sure she has a plan. After all, a woman's greatest strength lies in the ability to reason and plan. I am sure she is not helpless in her current situation." The two younger boys nodded, somewhat reassured, all while Tenzin frowned. Yes, his wife was right – but Korra was no ordinary woman. She rather fought her way out instead of planning an escape. At this point, she was more boy than girl. And with her temper and impatience...

"We have to rescue her no matter what. Even if she manages to get away, we still have Amon and the Equalists to think about. I doubt they would give up just like that," Tenzin added.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Bolin asked, having become restless and anxious in mere moments.

"We still have no idea of where Korra is being held captured," Mako replied.

"And if this is actually the case. She _could_ have run after him, as you said," Tenzin added thoughtfully. "With a temper like hers, she could easily be tempted to chase her opponent if he escaped."

"We need to talk to Chief Lin Beifong. She might be able to help us," Mako said and stood just as Bolin had sat down by his side. Tenzin nodded in agreement, having just had the same thought.

"We will talk to her in the morning," Tenzin then said, sipping his tea. Mako frowned.

"Tomorrow might be too late. We have to do something _now_." The look in his eyes told that this was non-discussable.

"Alright," agreed the Air bender and stood as well.

Bolin emptied his cup in one mouthful before trailing after the two others, who had almost left the kitchen in a hurry.

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Korra awoke with a displeased grunt. Opening her eyes helped only very little; the room in which she resided was dark, with no windows to allow light inside. She had no idea of what time it was. All she knew was that she had to escape, and that fast.

Feeling overwhelmingly nauseous and weak, Korra doubted she could even get upon feet. Her arms had been tied behind her back with rope, bending her arms back in a way that made proper blood circulation impossible. She could barely feel her hands. But she could not just lie here, waiting for someone to come and rescue her; no, she was the Avatar. She would rescue herself.

_Idiots tied me up with a rope. Must have forgotten that I can Fire bend_, she thought with a sly smile, which quickly turned to an expression of horror. No matter how much she focused, she could not seem to summon even the smallest flame into her palm. Not even a slight warmth. Her stomach sank as her eyes widened. He had done it. Amon had taken her bending away.

For a long time, Korra just lay there, the words and their meaning echoing through her mind over and over. She was no longer a bender. She even doubted she was the Avatar anymore. Without her ability to bend the Four Elements, how could she save the world? The foundation of her very existence was gone. Now, she was just... Korra. Simple, boring, and _weak_.

Quick, warm tears rolled down her face. Sniffing, she tried to hold back the sadness. She had to be strong.

_But if I am neither a bender nor the Avatar anymore, then why am I here? I propose no threat to Amon in this state. Why did he not just dump me into a dirty alley instead?_ The thought brought a glint of hope. Maybe, because she was the Avatar, there was a way to restore her bending. She had heard about how even Aang, the former Avatar, had once lost his ability to bend. The Spirits of the former Avatars had saved him. Maybe they could save her as well. She would never find out if she gave up now. She _had_ to escape.

The hard surface, which provided a rather uncomfortable bed, felt cold as she pressed her shoulder against it to support her weight while she shifted her body. Without the help of her arms, and with a body as sore as nothing she had ever experienced before, getting upon feet was rather difficult, she found. But at last she managed to shift her weight upon her knees, and weakly she rose to feet. The vertigo she felt was so overwhelming that she was close to falling again, but she managed to find a wall to lean up against until she regained control over her body. The concrete surface felt ridiculously cold against her thinly dressed back.

Without warning, a door, which she did not even know was there, was opened from the outside, the lock clicking by the touch of metal. A tall, dark silhouette came into view in the door frame. The light, although not even near bright, blinded her, and she clenched her eyes almost shut.

"The Avatar has awoken," said the stranger, revealing that there were more men behind him. He stepped inside the cell and stopped close to Korra, who was busy trying to remain in balance. She could not attack him, but perhaps she could dodge his attack – if he had such in mind.

Another man slipped into the darkness of the room, carrying two buckets, one in each hand, and a thin blanket under his arm. One bucket, filled with water, was placed in the nearest corner, while the empty bucket was left in the far corner. He threw the blanket onto a plank bed that Korra had not noticed before either. Then he disappeared wordlessly.

"Do not move," said the silhouette in front of her. Korra obeyed; not because she wanted to, but because she had to stand still to avoid gaining over-balance again. She was surprised when the man moved behind her to untie her arms.

_If I had had all my physical strength right now, I could have escaped with ease_, she thought in annoyance, hating the fact the even with free arms she was weak. Not only her bending had been taken away; her body was weak and ached with pained muscles. She could do only very little in this state.

"There will be guards outside of the door at all time. Behave, or you will regret it," told the man and left the room, bringing the ropes along. Korra sent his back a hateful stare.

"Sleep tight, Avatar," cackled the man and slammed the door, leaving the girl in utter darkness again.

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_Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_If you have any constructive critique, or feedback of any kind, please leave a Review for me. I strive to become a better writer, and to please my fans, which I can only do if you tell me what you think!_

_Love, MangaAnimeLover._


	2. Behaving

_**Warning: **This chapter contains sexual scenes and violence (just how we like it! xD)._

_Please do note that Korra is 18 years old in this story!_

_Enjoy! :3_

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**Chapter 2: Behaving**

Thinking back through the time, Korra decided that she had never slept this uncomfortably before. Truly, a hard-surfaced plank bed and a thin, worn blanket provided nearly as little comfort as possible. It felt just like sleeping on the concrete floor, leaving her body stiff and her muscles sore. She had gained only very little sleep because of all the thoughts which had roamed in her mind, creating nightmares and waking her constantly. Korra decided that she would not even try to get some decent sleep anymore; she knew it was an impossibility right here and now. No point in even trying.

In lack of better things to do, Korra sat up on the sorry excuse for a bed and listened. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could recognize sounds in and around the building and thus figure out where she was being held captured. She needed to know what she was working with before she could even attempt a proper escape. He first guess was that they were underground – perhaps in the sewers, or even in a secret underground building complex, although such a thing would have been a huge challenge to create, especially on such short notice. She doubted that Amon had had the time to create such a complex building during the few weeks he had been in Republic City. Or had he been here longer than that, stayed hidden until his army of Equalists were big enough for him to reveal himself without fearing the Police Force? Korra honestly did not know.

When she concluded that neither sound nor smell could help her identify her location precisely, she decided that perhaps she could make the guard outside her door reveal some useful information with which she could work and plan from.

Stretching her back longingly, she strode to where she remembered the door had been, still having a bit of trouble keeping the balance. Whatever Amon had done to her, it had really weakened her body in more than one way. She let her hands glide along the wall, finding the door with ease. Instead of hard concrete, the door was made from cool metal. It was easy feeling the difference. Hammering her fist against the slightly budging metal surface repeatedly, she caught the guard's attention. Korra stepped aside, expecting the door to be opened, but instead a small opening came into view as the guard slid a metal lid aside from the outside.

"What?" the man grumbled in annoyance, glaring tiredly at her through a pair of green-glassed goggles. It was clear that he had just awoken because of her.

"I need to go to the toilet," Korra replied, faking anxiousness. The man snorted.

"Use the bucket in the corner for now," came his reply monotonously. Just as he was about to close the lid, Korra stopped him.

"Wait! What about shower?" she then asked. Without words, the man pointed at the bucket of water by her bed.

"_Anything else?_" grumbled said man, sounding like he was on the verge to great annoyance. Clearly not a morning person, Korra noted.

"Can you tell me where I am?" She did not expect him to reveal such important information to her, but it was worth a try. The guard gave her a cold look and shut the opening without further notice. In some way, Korra had not expected much else from him. He clearly hated his job as a guard.

_Oh well_, Korra thought. _Maybe I have more luck with other guards_.

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After what seemed like an eternity to Korra, she heard voices outside the door. Sitting up on the plank bed, she readied herself mentally for whoever visitor she might get. In some way, she hoped it was Amon. She had so many questions to be answered – and so much wrath to release on him. But mostly she hoped it was not him. She was not ready to face him again already.

The door was unlocked by a click, and in came the tall guy who had untied her arms not too many hours ago. Outside her cell awaited two other men.

"Come with me, Avatar. Amon wishes to speak to you," said the man. Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed a hold of her upper arm and dragged her out of the darkened room. Again, Korra found herself blinded by the lamps, having adjusted her eyes to the darkness. She blinked rapidly, gaining more sight for each time. She was brought out in a long, narrow hallway, the walls of which were equipped with electric lamps every ten meters, providing only the necessary amount of light, and no more.

Before they moved on down the hallway, the tall man held out Korra's arms and allowed the two other men free access to her back.

"What-" the girl began, but the following pain cut her off. The men pressed their fingers into certain nerve points in her back, sending jolts of pain though her body and created a feeling of total weakness. Once done, they started walking.

"We blocked your chi paths," explained one of the men coldly. Korra was confused, but held in her questions. She would have Amon answer all of them, himself.

At the end of the hallway came three different ways. They turned right and continued down another hallway, which was not nearly as narrow as the first one. The floor had changed from the cold, hard concrete to wood instead, and the temperature was a bit more comfortable here. Korra did not know where they were going exactly, but she was sure she was going to enjoy the warmth of the new destination while she could.

She was led through another few doors and hallways, until they stopped in front of a wooden door. The tall man knocked thrice.

"The Avatar is here, sir," said he, awaiting.

"Come in," allowed Amon's voice from the other side of the door. By his mere voice, Korra felt her body tense and her anger boil. _That bastard!_

The door was opened, and Korra was dragged inside, then pushed toward the desk behind which a certain man with a certain porcelain mask was sitting, his hands folded expectantly on the wooden surface in front of him.

"Good morning, Avatar," said the mask nonchalantly as the door behind her was shut. "Please, take a seat." He motioned for the chair next to her. His hospitality, whether fake or genuine, confused her. But she was not to be fooled.

"Amon," Korra hissed hatefully and had to resist the urge to charge toward the man. Oh, how she wanted him to bleed. But in her state she could not even harm him the slightest, and she knew. Her only weapon was now verbal. She chose to sit, for now.

"Have you slept well?" continued the man provocatively, goading Korra with his irrelevant chatter. Korra frowned even deeper.

"Cut the crap, Amon," growled the girl, still tempted to hurt the man before her. "Tell me; what have you done to me!?" The painted smile met her eyes, provoking her even more. Amon chuckled lightly and leaned back in his chair.

"Relax, Avatar," he said casually. "The effect is only temporary." Korra's blue eyes narrowed.

"How do I know you are not lying?" she asked, her voice thick of anger. Amon shrugged.

"You would have to trust me on this," he said, amused by the sceptical expression that took over Korra's face. "As I said earlier, I have plans for you. And you are not that lucky to have taken your bending away yet. That pleasure is saved until your role as the Avatar no longer benefits me and my plans."

_Pleasure!?_ Korra's mind echoed incredulously, causing a very bitter smile onto the Avatar's heated face. He was toying with her, confusing her with his indirect threats. Compared to _what_ was his purification a _pleasure_? What was he planning to put her through, which she would willingly trade her bending to escape from? A pang of fear hit her as she realized that, perhaps, there were even worse things he could do to her. _No_, she reassured herself. _He can put me through whatever he wants, but I will not allow him to take away my bending permanently._

Pushing away all thoughts, she focused on the man in front of her once again, her expression revealing her entire dislike for him.

"I demand to know what you are planning to do with me," Korra finally said, surprising Amon with her sudden change of tone. Instead of a growling hatred, she now displayed a cool and calculated seriousness which he had not expected her to able to mobilize in her current situation. The man leaned back in his chair.

"Have patience, young Avatar," came his grave reply, making the girl clench her fists in anger. "You will find out soon enough, I assure you." Korra sneered at him. Of course, the man refused to reveal his plans. When she escaped, she would have nothing to tell the others. Except for one thing, she remembered all of a sudden, having forgot the hazy memory from the night before.

"You are a bender," Korra stated suddenly. "Have you any idea of how your brainwashed goons would react if they found out?" A sly smile crept onto her lips, only shortly, until Amon spoke:

"Tell them whatever you want, Avatar. They would not believe you the slightest bit." His posture and voice told her that he was not fooling her; he really did not fear her attempt at blackmailing him. Korra frowned. To think that such an important information was completely useless to her...

_Unless..._, she thought, that sly smile emerging again. _Unless I can force him to use it in front of some Equalists. If just one or two of them witness Amon Blood bend, his whole army will shatter because of his betrayal. _

As if having read her mind, Amon stood up, shocking Korra with his sudden movement. He went to her chair, crouched down to her level, and grabbed her chin roughly with his bare hand, his nails digging into her flesh. Korra tried to yank out of his painful hold, but his strength surpassed hers by far in her current state. He stared her down with those darkened, golden eyes hidden behind that damned porcelain mask of his.

"I will never _ever_ bend before my own people, so do not even _try_ to make me. You will fail. I have many other ways of defeating you if you try anything." A shiver ran up Korra's spine. Amon's very proximity, his painful touch, his unfaltering stare; she was once again reminded why she hated and feared this man so much. His effect on her was unlike anything she had ever experienced, except toward Tarrlok, whom she only felt hate for. A strong hate. But Amon surpassed him by far.

Nodding in understanding, Korra's face was released. She lifted her weak hand to caress her sore chin shortly, sending the man stares as he went back to his chair behind the desk.

"Which leads me to something else, although just as important," the mask continued, pressing the tips of his fingers together in front of him. "As long you stay here, I wish for you to behave. This way, it will be more pleasant for me and thus also for you. If you behave to my liking, you might even be rewarded. But mark my words, Avatar; if you cause trouble, you will be punished."

A sour frown erupted on the girl's tanned features. _Spirits_, she hated to be treated like a child; praised if behaving, scolded if not. And she would be sure to show Amon just how willing she was to obeying him in this. She stood up abruptly, triggering same action from Amon.

"You are in _no position_ to tell me what to do and what not to do," she hissed defiantly, noticing how those golden eyes narrowed behind their porcelain prison.

"You will do as I tell you, or face the consequences," almost growled the man back at her. Ah, she could piss him off. How delightful, she mused with that foxy smirk again. If her intentions were visible on her features, even for a moment, he ignored it, for in the next second Korra let her arm glide over the surface of the desk, shoving stacks of paper, pens, notes, and one particularly fashionable lamp, down, letting it all fall to the floor. Said lamp was crushed from the impact. Korra's eyes never left Amon's in the process, seeing as they narrowed in danger.

For a moment, Korra was unsure if he was even going to react; then, quickly, he was on her, grabbing her throat and forcing her upper body down upon the now-cleared wooden surface with such force that Korra felt dazed for a moment, the back of her head throbbing.

"Do not push your luck, Avatar," hissed the man above her. "I am giving you a chance to earn yourself liberties that could make your time here less horrible, maybe even somewhat enjoyable. Let this be my last warning before things get serious. One more such action, and you will regret ever setting foot in that temple. _Understood?_" Gasping for air, Korra nodded. But Amon's words did not affect her. He needed her alive, and a bender. What kind of punishment could he possibly let her go through that would not harm either of those?

She was released, and her lungs drew greedy portions of air into her chest. Still panting, she smiled cockily. Who was he to command her around like this?

"Amon?" she said, making the man turn to her again after his attempt to return to his seat. Just as his face had turned enough, Korra gathered all her oral fluids and spat him right between his two eye openings.

Korra had thought it was the right thing for her to do, to signalize that she would not budge under his words. But as Amon once again pressed her down onto the desk, his entire body covering hers, she was not so sure anymore. This time he said nothing; the malicious look in his eyes spoke for itself.

Korra gasped in surprise when the man pressed a finger against her arms in a certain pattern, leaving her arms numb and lifeless. Teal eyes widened. Such a dirty trick!

Through his mask, Korra could feel Amon's warm breath somewhat even, but a few sharp intakes revealed that he was truly angry now.

Much to Korra's surprise, Amon moved his hands to her chest and squeezed her breasts in a forceful way, making the girl's eyes widen in horror and realization. _What was he planning to put her through, which she would willingly trade her bending to escape from?_; now she had a guess. A guess which she did not like _at all_.

Unable to defend herself, and with a mind unable to gather the right comment to say, Korra could only watch as the Equalist Leader let his hands roam over her body a bit too roughly for her to ever enjoy. He watched her intensely, his shaded glance piercing into hers, reminding her of the power distribution between them, both physical and mental.

With a smirk, which Korra luckily could not see, Amon let a hand glide into the girl's pants, aiming for one certain place to touch. As his finger reached its destination, Korra's eyes widened even further.

"Do not look at me like that, young Avatar; you brought this upon yourself. Now, enjoy it while it lasts," the masked man over her said coolly, rubbing his finger against that bundle of nerves that caused unwanted waves of pleasure to roll though her body, spreading a longing warmth in the lower part of her belly. Heat rose to the Avatar's face; she knew very well where this would lead her, dreading the moment to come. She would rather kiss Amon's dirty boots hundred of times than having such a private release in front of him. His tactic was torture through humiliation. She bit her lower lip. Good spirits, she _hated_ that man!

As Korra was being pushed closer to the peak of pleasure, Amon stopped briefly, only to slip two fingers into her now wet core instead. The sudden pain made her arch her head back against the table, transforming her breathing into uncontrolled gasps of air. _Damned be the seal of virginity_, Korra's inner hissed, knowing that the pain was only momentarily, although still unbearable.

Knowing just what Korra was thinking, a sly smile crept onto Amon's lips. The Avatar was a virgin. How horribly perfect. There were better ways to take advantage of the pain it brought her than this.

Korra was relieved, although still embarrassed and in pain, when Amon withdrew his fingers.

"This should do it for now," said the masked man and retreated to his seat. "But believe me when I say that I am ready to take your punishment much farther than just this. And you will experience this for yourself if you keep up that stubborn and defiant behaviour of yours.

Shocked, Korra managed to push herself on feet, refraining from looking at the man observing her silently.

"You are a monster," she hissed lowly, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"I am everything you want me to be, Avatar. It depends on how you behave," replied Amon coolly, his golden eyes watching her in silent triumph since he had just witnessed how easy the girl was to break. The first irremovable scar on her soul and mind had been made. And there were many more to come.

"Lieutenant!" called Amon then suddenly, startling Korra, who was still fighting to escape his presence. The door was opened and the man from before entered. So this man was Amon's second-in-command? Honestly, Korra did not care. All she wanted was to get away, and that fast.

"Bring the Avatar to her cell, and bring her some food," ordered the mask coolly. The Lieutenant bowed curtly, grabbed Korra by the arm, and dragged her out. She could feel Amon's eyes burn on her back, and she savoured the moment his painted smirk had disappeared behind the closed door.

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_Thank you for reading! :)_

_I really do hope you liked this chapter. Personally, I prefer writing these chapters which contain violence and abuse (especially sexual)... I know, I'm such a dirty person! XD"""_

_Now, on to writing chapter 3!_

_Love, MAL._


	3. Defiance

_Another update! I am feeling very inspired these days, having spent some time reading others' fan fictions. They, and Reviews, tend to be my best inspiration. And since I'm having a cold, sitting in the chair, wrapped up in blankets and with a cup of hot chocolate by my side, I really do enjoy to sitting here and deepening myself into my work._

_Enjoy the chapter! ^^_

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**Chapter 3: Defiance**

"_Good spirits_," sighed the novice Equalist, whom the Lieutenant had assigned the task of bringing the Avatar her breakfast. He watched Korra impatiently as she struggled with her still immobilized arms to reach out and grab a hold of the spoon right in front of her. She could not. Every muscle in both of her arms were completely immovable, and her arms hung like lumps of dead meat at her sides.

The man sat down in front of her with a sour look on his face and picked up the silver spoon, filling it with the gross-looking porridge she had been served. Honestly, it did not look the slightest bit tempting, not even to himself. Had he been the prisoner, he would have refused to eat it. He wondered what she had done to deserve such a dull meal.

A blush of annoyance coloured Korra's cheeks darker when she realized what the man was about to do. As if she had not been humiliated enough already! Just as the spoon arrived at her lips, she turned her face away.

"No thank you," she sneered. "I would prefer to feed myself." The Equalist sighed and frowned.

"Obviously you cannot even hold onto the spoon, let alone reach out to re-fill it." His voice held no sighs of concern or pity, just pure annoyance.

"I will regain feeling in my arms eventually. I can wait. Just leave the tray here," Korra suggested irritably. The man snorted.

"And wait until you attack someone with a spoon or a porcelain shard? I think not!" replied the man, sticking the spoon close to her lips again. "You will eat now. Amon's orders."

_Amon_. His name was like acid in her system. If it was something Amon wanted her to do, then she directly _refused_ to do it. She would not let him win this mind game of his, not even if he had a major advantage. She did not care if he got angry with her again; yes, his punishment in his office barely an hour ago had really shocked her, but she doubted he would go any further than that. After all, he _despised_ benders, _especially_ the Avatar. So why would he go as far as creating such intimacy with her? He would not. His words had been mere empty threats.

"I will not eat, especially not _that_," Korra retorted sternly. The Equalist sighed in exasperation and let the spoon drop down into the porridge, making some of the sticky substance splay down onto the tray.

"Fine," said the man and stood. "Then it is something you must discuss with Amon himself." Korra's eyes widened instantly.

"Wai-" she began, but did not manage to stop the man in time. With a click of the lock, she was left alone in her cell, nothing but the lone lantern in the corner and those horrible memories to keep her company.

_Damn it_, she thought. She really did not want to deal with Amon again already. _I doubt he will react so strongly over this, however_, she reassured herself. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. Holy spirits, she was so _tired_, both mentally and physically. After all those pains and everything she had been through already, and it was still only morning. If things continued like this, she would be a corpse in less than a week.

Sighing, she allowed herself to relax before Hell would break loose once again.

No more than ten minutes passed before Amon entered her poorly lit cell, the Lieutenant and the Equalist from before awaiting behind him. Korra eyed him as indifferently as she could, hiding how much her heart was actually beating inside her chest. She would show him no fear. She would not allow him the pleasure of seeing that his methods were working on her.

Amon threw a brief glance on the tray on the floor by her feet. Then he crouched, picked up the spoon and reached out for her face with it, his cold eyes telling her to stop being so stubborn. Like before, Korra turned her face away, refusing to be fed like a child.

"I would advice you to eat. Now," Amon's dark voice said, revealing no signs of humour whatsoever. Korra turned her entire body away and stared into the wall.

"I want to eat by myself. Is that too much to ask for?" she questioned calmly, avoiding making a bigger scene of this than it already was.

"Knowing what stare you are in, I think it is an unrealistic request," Amon remarked, his voice still completely grave. "Now, eat."

Korra still did not turn around. One minute of silence convinced Amon that Korra would not give up. Perhaps it was her stupid, childish way of getting back at him for what he had done to her. The fact was that it did not concern him personally in any way. This was her loss, and her loss only.

"Fine," spoke the man finally and stood up. "Kalin, take the tray. If the Avatar refuses to eat, we will not serve her food." With a wicked smile, the novice Equalist stepped forth and picked up the tray.

"Notify me when you are ready to eat, young Avatar." By those words, the three men left the room, Amon bringing the lantern from the corner along. Korra was left in pure darkness once again, cursing the lack of windows and lamps.

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Chief Lin Beifong spread out a map over Republic City onto a table, pointing at some red crosses drawn upon the map with a marker.

"These are places that we know the Equalists have been visiting regularly during the past week. They have all been cleared," the woman instructed. "The green crosses are the places we have suspicions about, and the blue crosses are places our sources have pointed out for us. We still need to raid and clear all of them." Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami watched the map closely, all nodding in silence.

"So the possibility for Korra being held captured in one of those buildings with a red cross is completely excluded?" Mako questioned, his eyes still lingering to the map before him.

"It is highly unlikely that we have overlooked anything in those buildings," answered Lin. "I will not exclude the possibility, however."

"It would be stupid of us to look those places as our first move," Tenzin mused out aloud. The others nodded.

"Should we not find Korra in the other buildings, we can always go back and check the red crosses," Asami added.

"My suggestion would be that you go check out the green crosses, seeing as the Police Force do not have the authority to raid those places without search warrants," Lin told them sourly. "And our system here is so ineffective that it would take us months to get all the needed warrants."

"So we will sneak into the other places, secretly searching for Korra?" Bolin asked.

"Only if you can avoid getting caught. Trespassing is a crime, and I am sure that Councilman Tarrlok would dislike you guys sneaking around 'his city'." Lin's voice was sarcastic and bitter, revealing just how much she hated Tarrlok. Tenzin knew just how she felt.

"Which might be the very reason why I cannot join you out in the field," spoke Tenzin with a frown. "If we were to get caught, I would lose my seat in the Council. Besides, should you get caught, my chances of getting you out of jail are better out here than in the cell with you." Lin nodded in agreement.

"I will make sure to put a word in for you, should you be so unlucky," Lin provided.

"Alright," said Mako and leaned in over the map. "We need a replica of this map and a list of all the addresses we are to explore. Side notes explaining why you suspect these places might come in handy as well."

"Give me two hours and I will produce everything you need," Lin answered. "Meanwhile, I would advise you to go home and prepare. Get something to eat and bring the tools you need. It will be a long day for you."

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It was around midday, Korra guessed, when her arms had returned to normal. Her body, too, had recovered from being weak and dizzy. The chi-blocking from earlier was still active, however, keeping her ability to bend at bay. But at this rate, even without her bending, she might be able to take on half a dozen of Equalists.

In lack of anything better to do, she decided to train. Surely, she could not train her bending, but also her physical abilities needed refinement, and she had room enough for a handful of various exercises.

She let herself drop from the bed, letting her hands take the blow against the stone floor, and she began doing push-ups with her feet still resting on the edge of the plank bed, making it tougher. She would take fifty push-ups for starters, and then eighty crunches, and after that some squat exercises. Perhaps some meditation later.

Korra barely reached thirty-five push-ups before the lid in the door was opened, revealing a scrunching brow and an incredulous look behind those green goggles. Korra noticed him but chose to ignore his stare.

"What do you think you are doing?" asked the goon, obviously offended by Korra's indifference. Not wanting to lose count of her push-ups, she decided to postpone the conversation until she had reached fifty stretches. The guard grumbled in annoyance. He did not seem to be the patient type, Korra noticed.

Finally finished, she stood and stretched for a second.

"I am working out, obviously," she retorted, earning another indistinguishable grumble. She ignored him and lay back on to the floor, starting her series of crunches. There was an awkward silence for half a minute, the guard staring at her.

"Stop it," the guard finally demanded, seemingly confused of how to react to the girl's activities.

"Then give me something else to do," panted Korra in between her quick movements.

In truth, the reason for her sudden urge to exercise was not entirely because she was bored; firstly, she needed to train once in a while, true as it was, but the main reason was that she needed something to do to keep her from thinking. All she really could do in her cold, lonely cell was to _think_, and she wanted a way to shut out the unpleasant memories from the morning. It had been so uncomfortable, just lying there helplessly while Amon took advantage of her body, teasing her, torturing her mind. The part she wished no answer to was why it had felt _so good_ to be touched by him. And if she was left alone thinking for too long, she might come up with some guesses and answers she did not want.

The guard stared at her for a little while longer, a perverted smile creeping onto his face as his mind came up with one suggestion for an activity – one that would entertain both of them for a while. Heck, he could still make sure she would not escape, right? Avatar or not, her body offered curves and softness no ordinary man could resist. At least they could enjoy themselves in their lonely time.

Korra heard an unexpected click in the lock. Stopping in her tracks, she glanced at the guard entering her cell uninvited.

"What are you-" she began but was cut off by the sound of the metal door slamming, leaving them in total darkness. She had a pretty good idea of what the man was about to do. It came to her advantage that her eyes had gotten used to the dark. She could see him way better than he could see her.

With a grunt, the guard grabbed out for her wrist, his hand brushing her skin shortly as she fled to the other end of the cell.

"I warn you," Korra said harshly.

"Word against word, Avatar. Surely Amon would not believe the Avatar when she claims she was raped by a guard." He gave a very disturbing laughter that echoed back and forth in the small concrete cell. Then he launched for her. Korra, having readied herself for his move, jumped sideways, using the wall to bring her behind the man. Before he turned around, she wrapped her arm around his throat and tightened.

"Leave me alone," hissed the girl into his ear. He groaned and grabbed out for her unsuccessfully. Realizing that he was not going to give up, she let him go in a push and darted for the door, her heart lighter when she found it unlocked.

A thought struck her panicked mind: Maybe this was her only chance of an escape. She would take it, knowing that if she called for help she would be the one punished anyway. It was risky, but better than giving up now.

She turned left in the hallway, in the opposite direction of where she knew Amon's office was. This way provided only one door. She had no idea where it lead; she only knew that it led away from her cell, away from the raging guard following her, and away from Amon.

Adrenaline pumped through her system, her heart galloping, almost hurting her from the inside. As her fingers touched the cool metal of the door handle, a feeling of freedom started to spread, until she realized that it was locked.

_Fuck!_

In two and a half second, the guard reached her, literally throwing herself over her.

"Amon!" she yelped, her mouth covered shortly after.

"Shut up, girl," growled the guard lowly into her neck and started to drag her back into her cell. Korra tried to yank out of his rough grasp, but his strong arms held her arms tightly fixed behind her back. She kicked backwards, her heel just accurately gracing the guard's groin. He growled and forced her front against the wall, her cheekbone taking the blow, making her face ache against the cool concrete wall.

"What is happening here?" sounded Amon's deep voice from the other end of the hallway. A brief spark of happiness lit inside her chest until she realized that me man was observing her with tightly narrowed eyes.

"Escape attempt," explained the guard and continued to push Korra back towards her cell.

"Lead her to my office," Amon requested coldly and waited for the guard and the Avatar to pass him so that he could walk behind them and ensure that Korra did not try anything again.

When they stopped at the familiar door, the guard was told to take a break. Amon wanted to talk to Korra alone. Korra's stomach tightened.

"Please," said Korra the instant she was pushed inside the office. "The guard was-"

"_Silence_," commanded Amon and closed the door. Tears started to well up in the corner of her eyes. The guard had been right; surely Amon would not believe _her_, of all people. Gulping at the lump that had formed in her throat, Korra sat down. Amon took seat behind his desk.

"You are being particularly difficult, young Avatar," the leader began, his voice dripping with venom. Korra scowled away, trying to hold back her traitorous tears. It was difficult. Spirits, she hated being blamed for crimes she had not done. Yes, she _had_ tried to escape, but more the guard rather than the hideout itself.

Korra parted her lips to speak, but a hand motion from Amon signed for her to wait.

"I want you to be completely honest with me. I can see if you are lying to me," the man told her, his golden stare watching her intensely. "After I have spoken to you I will hear the guard out. If your stories do not match, I will take his as the truth." A pang of anger and disappointment flashed through her chest, making it even harder to hold back the tears.

"I was working out in the cell when the guard came in. He tried... he tried to abuse me." The last sentence caused Korra to look away, a frown on her face.

"What were you doing in the hallway then?" questioned Amon, digging. Korra sniffed.

"He forgot to lock the door. I tried to escape," the girl told him.

"So you _did_ try to escape," concluded the mask with its permanent smirk that seemed even more insane in this situation. There was absolutely nothing to grin at. Korra nodded.

"I tried to escape _him_," she corrected. "I even called for you. I would not have done so if I were trying to escape _you_." This part was where it got tricky, Amon knew. The girl could be telling the truth, as it seemed until now, but she had still cause trouble.

"Despite calling for help, you were still running for an exit, which means that you took the opportunity to try and escape your imprisonment." He was right. But still, Korra could not help but feel that this was the guard's fault, and not hers. She hoped that, no matter what, the guard would receive his own share of punishment at well.

Staying silent, she let her head drop with a nod. This situation was utmost unpleasant, she found.

"Whether you are speaking the entire truth or not, you have still done something for which you need to be punished," Amon's deep voice told her. Korra sighed. She had not expected anything else from this man.

"You will be returned to your cell now. I will see to that you are punished soon enough."

"Lieutenant," called Amon, summoning his second-in-command in less than six seconds.

"Sir," answered the Lieutenant with a bow once he had opened the door.

"Bring the girl back to her cell. And chain her to the wall." Korra's eyes widened. She managed no protests before she was grabbed and pulled out from the office.

Right before they rounded the corner, Korra shot a hateful glance back at Amon, who was still sitting with his fingers pressed lightly together and a painted smirk silently watching her getting dragged away.

Back in her cell, Korra was forced down onto her knees, her back against the wall. She was held in space by the new door guard while the Lieutenant clamped the shackles around both her wrists and her ankles, leaving only little air between the cold metal and her skin.

The two men left her there against the concrete, slamming the door shut and locking it. Korra was surprised when the lid was removed from the small opening in the door, letting light inside her cell.

_Light. What a treat_, she thought bitterly. It was nice to actually be able to see something now. But it was by the expense of her ability to move around. She did not know whether this development was for the better or for the worse.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Back to thinking too much again, Korra realized with a sigh.

There was but one thing that bothered her, nagging in the back of her mind. Sometimes, she questioned her own thoughts or actions during situations where she had no time to plan ahead. Like today. When calling for help, she had called for one certain person instead of just 'help' in general. And it bothered her. Especially because it was so _wrong_.

Why would she seek solace by a man who had already abused her, in order to escape another man who was about to do the same? Why had she thought that – even just for an instance – that Amon should be the one to save her? He was her worst enemy, the man she feared most, and the very reason she was being held captive in this place. So why him?

She hated those sides of herself which she could not seem to read or figure out. Sometimes the cases were so sensitive that she did not even _want_ an answer. Like now. But she could not block out the stream of thoughts.

Was she growing attached to him? No, she decided. Not one bit. She _hated_ him, _despised_ him for his arrogant personality and everything he stood for in general. Bonding with this man would be impossible, let alone feel attracted to him. It was _wrong _in every sense.

Then why had she felt anger and betrayal when Amon told her that he did not believe her? She should not even _care_ what he thought of her. He was an egoistic, arrogant – and probably also very ugly – bastard with only himself and his goals in mind, stepping on everything and everyone who dared oppose him.

She hated him, she knew. But she was afraid there was more to it than that. She did not know what, however, so she chose to discard the thoughts for now. They were doing her no good.

Her focus was caught by the ringing of metallic shackles as she shifted a bit, trying to find comfort in her current position. It was difficult. The cold from the stone floor had crept through her pants and to her knees, causing her to shudder every now and then. Her time in Republic City had made her sensitive to cold yet again, and she feared that she would face a cold before not too long. Amon and the Equalists really lacked consideration when it came to their prisoner. Heck, she had only a bucket to use as a toilet, and she could not even use it now that she was tied up. She would have to ask for permission to be released every time she needed to take a piss. No privacy whatsoever. The very thought made her temper boil. Although their greatest enemy, they could at least threat _the Avatar_ well, as long she could not retaliate in any way.

She remembered Amon's words all of a sudden: _"I am giving you a chance to earn yourself liberties that could make your time here less horrible, maybe even somewhat enjoyable."_ If she behaved, she would be treated better. If she was lucky, she would even get a mattress to sleep on. The thought made her longing for home.

_No, _she scolded herself mentally. _There is no point in investing time on such things. I am not here to stay. No need for me to try and earn myself a room er anything fancy. I should never get attached to this place in any way._

Besides, when she thought about it, she had no idea of what to do to earn such liberties. All she could do was to not break the rules or try anything provocative. Avoiding doing bad things did not automatically make you do good things. That just made you innocent and inactive. Korra was no such person, to just sit by and take everything as it came. No, she would do what she could to create herself the life she wanted. She would not do _nothing_.

Korra's stomach growled all of a sudden, ripping her from her thoughts. She had not eaten in a day now, and all those fights and happenings had consumed a lot of energy, not to mention how fatigued the body got from freezing hours on end alone. She had refused breakfast, so it was her own fault, although she knew she could go without food for _days_. But she knew that she would have to eat eventually. The body could only handle so much.

One thing was for sure, however: she would not eat until the day she was allowed to feed herself.

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_Thank you for reading! I hope you liked the chapter :3_

_Please leave a Review and tell me what you think!_

_Love, MAL._


	4. Searching

_**First of all; thank you so much for all that positive feedback! You guys are the best! *heart***_

_This chapter is a bit shorter than my usual standards, but I had to choose between making it a bit too short or much longer. Sometimes, deciding where to end the chapter can be a challenge, so I hope I did the right thing here :3_

_**Warning:** This chapter contains a very cold and evil Amon! ÒwÓ_

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**Chapter 4: Searching**

Mako sighed and dried his sweaty forehead with his sleeve. Also Bolin and Asami were sweating, beads of salty water rolling down their temples and noses.

With a frown, Mako drew another red line onto the map in his hand. Sighing again, he folded the piece of paper and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Look on the bright side," Bolin said, trying to lift the spirit which had been worsening for every passing minute. "At least we are getting through the list faster then expected." Asami gave a tired smile, too exhausted to comment.

"Should we call it a day?" Bolin continued.

"No!" growled Mako angrily, a bit louder than intended. "Sorry. Just one more place before we stop for today." Asami, too tired to protest, nodded. She could handle once more place. After all, they had not stumbled upon any Equalists yet. A wry smile crossed her lips. They had found nearly anything _else_ than Equalists. Gangs, thieves, normal families; they had fought some of them and escaped others, knowing it would only waste their time to stay and fight.

Bolin placed his hands on his brother's and Asami's shoulders.

"The last place is just around the corner," Mako spoke. Together they went to the building, their paces far from the eagerness it had shown earlier.

The last place was an abandoned warehouse, it seemed. The glass panes of the few windows were smashed in, letting the cold night breeze seep in. There were no lights on, no sound of activity, and in general nothing to be suspicious of. Outside the building a 'For Sale' sign was placed.

The three moved inside the warehouse, neither of them believing they would find anything there either. They all froze in surprise when the few lamps were turned on, none of them having touched anything.

Silence. Nothing.

"I must be one of those movement sensors," Asami spoke finally, her voice raspy and low. "They are often connected to lamps, turning them on automatically when movement is registered." The boys let out a sigh and continued deeper into the gigantic hall. Only a few boxes, covered with dark and very dusty cloth, resided in the building, it seemed.

Mako went to some of the boxes and opened one of them.

"There is nothing here. Only boxes with rusty kitchen utensils," he called lowly. With a sigh, the three turned around and was about to leave the warehouse, when Bolin accidentally tugged at one of the curtains fastened pointlessly on the walls, revealing a door handle behind it.

"Hey," he exclaimed. "There is a hidden door here!" Mako's brow scrunched. The metal door handle looked too new and shiny to be old. Wherever the door led, it had been built not too long ago.

Bolin opened the door as silently he could. The door did not even creak when it opened, revealing that it was quite new or just attended to recently.

A darkened staircase was revealed. It went deep underground, and neither of them could see the end of it.

"Go," whispered Mako, sending forth his younger brother, he and Asami trailing behind. They closed the door behind them, leaving the narrow stairway too dark for them to be able to see anything.

Mako let a small flame appear in his palm, using it as a torch as they went further down. They saw a door at the end of the stairs. Surely, something illegal was going on behind that door. With all his heart, Mako hoped that it was an Equalist base.

As Bolin's hand reached out for the door handle, the three held their breaths unintentionally.

"Damn," whispered Bolin. "It is locked." Mako's heart sank. This time, he had been almost sure they were about to find a lead as to where Korra was.

"We will come back first thing tomorrow. And we will find a way to open the door," said Mako determinedly. The lot turned around to climb the stairs again, but froze instead.

"Well, what do we have here?" cackled a voice from above the stairs. "Youngsters who think they can just stick their noses into everything?"

The three narrowed their eyes. Asami pulled on her glove, and the boys behind her took a fighting stance each. They all recognized the dark uniform the man wore, his green-glassed goggles being the strongest trait. An Equalist.

"Tell us where she is," growled Mako. The Equalist shrugged with a laughter.

"I have no idea who you are talking about," he answered, an obvious smirk on his face.

"You know _exactly_ who I am talking about," hissed Mako back. A brief silence.

"Go get them," said the man finally and stepped aside, allowing a dozen of Equalists down the stairs.

"We can do this," Mako encouraged his friends. "For Korra." All shreds of hope vanished immediately, however, as the door behind them was opened, revealing another handful of Equalists. Mako barely had time to grumble a curse before the rest of his team fell to the ground, both paralyzed by a single stab of a finger.

"_Shi-_"

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

When the message reached the Equalist Leader, a flash of triumph glinted in his eyes.

"How very fortunate," he spoke, a smile similar to the one on his mask spreading on his real lips. "I know someone who might want to hear the news." The Lieutenant nodded and watched as Amon folded the letter from Base Four and hid it in a drawer.

"What should we do with them?" asked the Lieutenant.

"Let them stay in their cells. I will purify them soon enough. As for the girl, I will speak to Mr. Sato to find a suitable punishment."

Hiroshi Sato, who still provided the Equalists the majority of their new weapons, should have a say in the matter. Although he and his daughter were no longer allies, she still was his daughter. Amon wished not to lose such a prominent ally because of the punishment of the daughter. Perhaps there was even a chance of persuasion. Having such a strong, young woman in his Equalist army would be perfect. She had melee fighting skills already, ready to be developed into a perfect Equalist warrior. Besides, the girl could provide him useful information, too.

"Understood," said the Lieutenant, bowed respectfully, and left Amon's office.

For a moment, Amon just sat there, savouring the thought of the amount of pain and anxiousness the news would bring the Avatar. Then, having excited himself, he rose to feet and left the office.

The door guard to the Avatar's cell seemed almost shocked and embarrassed as he grunted awake by the sound of footsteps closing in. He stood up with a respectful bow.

"Amon, sir," said he, awaiting orders.

"Good morning, Fergus. I want to speak to the girl," Amon greeted him.

"Of course, sir," replied the guard and unlocked the heavy metal door hiding the Avatar from view. The small opening in the door cast only a poor amount of light into her cell, which was not enough for Amon to spot the girl in the corner.

The door was opened, and Amon stepped inside. The smell of sweat and urine met his nostrils.

"Get someone to change the buckets," ordered the porcelain mask before continuing. He stopped in front of the non-moving girl and crouched down to her level.

Korra, who had almost been sleeping in her shackles, slowly turned her face to meet his, a mixture of wrath and fatigue on her features.

"Slept well, young Avatar?" provoked the man and watched the girl intensely as she sneered and turned her face away from him again. He felt a pang of joy. She was suffering. A smirk curled his lips upward. But she was not suffering _enough_. Yet.

"I have news for you," he continued. Korra did not look at him. "It seems your friends are searching for you."

No response from the girl. Then he saw as a thin smile crept onto her lips, then died shortly after.

"They will not come to your rescue, however. They have walked into a trap." By his words, Korra's eyes widened, a gasp almost audible escaping her lungs. Ah, a delicious reaction, Amon noticed. It would get worse in a moment.

"The two benders and Sato's girl," Amon continued, watching as Korra's eyes narrowed. "They barely put up a fight. So pathetic."

"What have you done to them!?" snapped Korra suddenly, her eyes burning fiercely, merely adding to Amon's satisfaction.

"Nothing _yet_. The benders will be purified as soon I have the time," he told her. "And the girl will receive a punishment just as great." The air was caught in Korra's lungs as she remembered Amon's sick way of punishing. With renewed energy, Korra started to tug at the chains holding her back, using all her strength to try and hit the porcelain mask smirking evilly at her. But no matter how much force she put into her yanks, the shackles were stronger. When Korra realized that it was futile, she stopped and let her head drop with a ragged sigh, revealing the sadness she felt.

Amon reached out and grabbed her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. His stare was cold and calculated as it pierced into hers.

"Do not worry, though," he began. "I will not touch her. Such punishment is reserved for you only. No need to become jealous."

It snapped for Korra. That was the last straw. How _dared_ he...?

"You keep your filthy hands off _all_ of them," she growled furiously. "And while you are at it, keep your hands _off me as well_!"

"So fierce you are, Avatar. I think you need to cool down that temper of yours." Before Korra understood his intentions, Amon had grabbed the bucket with clear water which had just been brought inside the cell.

_No, no, no...!_ screamed Korra's mind in panic, but it was too late. Amon emptied the whole bucket above her head, letting icy cold water pour down her hair, face, and thinly dressed body. When finished, he tossed the bucket aside, demanding it refilled. Korra coughed and spitted.

"You are a monster," she hissed lowly, her eyes filled with as much wrath as she could muster. "If anyone here deserves to be punished, it is _you_." A deep chuckled escaped Amon's mask as he once again crouched down in front of her dripping wet body.

"Watch your words, Avatar. I cannot feel guilt. And here, _you_ and _your kind_ are the enemies. Everything I put you through is something you have deserved just for being the person you are. Had it been up to some of the others in this building, you would not even be alive by now."

Korra believed none of that crap. She raised a brow in arrogant skepticism, silent.

"In fact, you should thank me for keeping you alive," Amon added. Korra snorted.

"Just barely," she retorted bitterly. Amon rose to feet.

"With that behaviour of yours, you have not deserved anything better than this." He went to the door, watching as Fergus returned with a newly filled bucket of water for Korra. He resisted the urge to kick it over.

"Have a nice day," said the man monotonously and exited the room. A desperation hit Korra. Maybe she could save her friends somehow. She refused to believe that Amon felt no guilt whatsoever. It was worth a try.

"Please," she said just as the door was about to close. It stopped moving, and Korra knew Amon had heard her. "Please do not hurt my friends. I beg you." There came a silence, and then the door closed.

"Make sure she does not faint from the cold," Amon instructed the guard before he turned away and left. Korra had barely caught his words through the opening in the door. She felt a pang of surprise. Was he caring for her in some weird way?

_Maybe_, she thought. _Maybe there is still hope._

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

Registering her name being whispered, Asami was ripped from sleep, her eyes fluttering for a moment before opening slowly. She tried to push herself up to sit, but the rope wrapped tightly around her torso, fastening her arms behind her back permanently, made it impossible. Instead she turned her head to the source of the whispers.

"Bolin," she replied hoarsely. The boy behind the metal bars separating them gave her a smile of relief. She looked around with a frown.

"Where are we?" she asked and noticed Mako in the cell next to hers in the opposite direction. Her frown deepened. The marks on his unconscious face told her that he had put up a fight before he had also been paralyzed by their attackers.

"I believe we are in an Equalist base," Bolin replied, a frown of his own displayed on those boyish features.

"The one we discovered yesterday?" she asked again. Bolin replied with a nod.

"Most likely. But Korra is not here, it seems," he said, sadness taking over his face. "Some guards passed our cells not too long ago, talking about a letter to Amon. And if Amon is not here, I doubt Korra is."

"I see," Asami mused out aloud. "Did they mention anything that could lead us to the place where she is?"

The sound of metal against metal echoing loudly through the hall of cells shocked them into silence, their breaths caught in their throats.

"Shut up, you two!" came a sharp demand from the doorway leading out from the prison area. "If I hear any more talk or conspiracies from you, you will be gagged, even if I were to do it myself!"

Shocked, Asami and Bolin looked at each other, utter confusion in their gazes. Then Bolin remembered her question and shook his head. No, he had no clue as to where Korra was. All he knew was that she was not here with them.

Asami sighed. Their situation was most unfortunate.

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_Thank you for reading. As usual, I would love to know what you think of it. Was the chapter too short?_

_Love, MAL._


	5. Burning

_I cannot explain you guys how happy all your lovely Reviews make me. I have never felt this supported in any story before (I do have stories with far more Reviews, but never so many in so few days). You guys are all sweethearts! (and just plain AWESOME!) *heart*_

_On to the story!_

_Enjoy ^^_

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**Chapter 5: Burning**

"Amon!"

He heard his name being voiced in the hallway. This time, it was not the Avatar's voice calling for help. Usually, people knocked and entered before they started talking to him. This caught his attention warningly seeing as the voice had contained a degree of panic. Rising to feet, he barely made it to the door before a novice barged in to his office, panting.

"The Avatar," the young man panted. Amon's body tensed instantly. Had the girl escaped for good?

"What of her?" Amon asked gravely as he followed the novice out of his office.

"Something is wrong with her," the novice answered. Amon recognized the man as the guard having the evening shift. He frowned, knowing that the Avatar very likely was up to something.

"Has she been chi-blocked recently?" he asked to make sure he would not gain a fireball in his face the moment he stepped inside her cell.

"Yes. Earlier this morning," the guard answered him. When they stopped in front of Korra's cell, a strong smell hit him. He almost pushed the guard aside and entered the cell, kneeling down in front of the Avatar. She hung unconscious, the shackles being the only thing avoiding that she collided with the stone floor.

"Leave us," Amon spoke. The guard retreated and sat down on the chair outside the door.

Amon raised a hand and cupped Korra's cheek, surprised by the hot touch. Her skin was burning. Drops of sweat dotted her pale face and blushed cheeks. Her breaths were short and quick, her heart beating so rapidly and hard that he could see how her still body rocked with its pumping.

"I need you to release her," Amon said and knew the guard outside heard him. Said man entered with a bundle of keys in his hand. Amon stepped aside, allowing the novice to remove the shackles from Korra's wrists and ankles. Amon caught her before she smashed her lifeless body against the concrete surface beneath them.

"Would you be so kind and go get me some blankets, a washcloth, and an empty bucket?" Amon requested. "And while you are at it, notify the Lieutenant of the situation and tell him to bring the medic as soon as possible."

"Of course, sir," replied the guard and disappeared quickly. Amon lifted Korra in his arms as he rose to feet, surprised by the girl's weight. She was heavier than he had expected her to be. Bringing her to the plank bed, he put her down and watched her silently until the guard returned with the requested items.

Amon was just about to pull the blankets over the Avatar's shivering body as he remembered who he was and who she was. Then he frowned and moved away. He wished not to show affection for this girl. The only reason he was treating her was because he needed her alive. As soon as she had recovered, she would be tied up in the shackles again. She deserved no better.

"Attend to her until the medic arrives. Ask him to report back to me once finished," Amon instructed. "And make sure to clean the floor in the corner for vomit. I want no such stench here." By these cold words, Amon left the cell, a strange feeling of anger nagging him as he went.

It took mere minutes for the medic to show up in the cell. The guard had draped the blankets over Korra and had placed the empty bucket besides her bed in case she awoke and needed to throw up again.

"Let me take over," said the medic and crouched down before the girl. Soaking the washcloth in the bucket of water, he laid the cloth on her hot forehead, witnessing as her eyelashes fluttered by the contact.

"Tell me if you need anything," offered the guard and returned to his seat outside the cell.

Korra felt the cool cloth on her forehead and opened her eyes. Although blurred, her vision caught sight of an unfamiliar face staring at her, his expression emotionless but observing.

Surprised by the proximity, she tried to sit up, but the man pressed her down onto the bed again.

"You are sick. You should not move unnecessarily," he said, his voice supporting her assumption that this man was treating her in professionalism rather than compassion.

Korra sighed. This was all Amon's fault. Had he not poured cold water over her and left her to freeze, she would have been fine now – as fine as she _could_ be in this place, anyway.

_At least I am not tied up anymore_, she told herself, savouring the thought in her tired and dazed mind.

A man entered with a mop and started sweeping the floor. Korra remembered having felt very bad just before passing out. She had most likely left a mess in the corner. Had her cheeks not been coloured by the fever already, she would have displayed her embarrassment.

It should have been Amon who was washing the floor clean of her puke, she decided. He was the reason behind all of it in the first place.

Closing her eyes, Korra focused on her breathing. It was still quick and somewhat irregular. She needed to calm herself.

The medic removed the cloth from her face and soaked it anew, returning it onto her forehead. It cooled her burning face effectively, and she almost sighed in comfort. The man stood up and eyed her one last time with a nod.

"Stay in bed. I will have the guard change the cloth every once in a while. Try and get some sleep." Without further instruction, the man left, and the door was closed and locked behind him. She heard faint conversation behind the door, then silence as she fell asleep immediately.

The medic swung by Amon's office on the way back to his own quarters. He knocked twice and entered when Amon's voice bid him inside.

"How is she?" asked the mask, looking up from the paperwork he had just been attending to.

"Stable, but she will need something to eat in order to recover faster," told the medic, well-knowing that they were not serving the prisoner any food for the time being.

"She will not be fed until she has learned from her mistake," replied Amon coolly, just like the medic had expected.

"Very well," he said. "I will, however, advise you to reconsider her punishment. And ask you to check up on her a few times a day. If her fever seems to worsen, do not hesitate in summoning me again."

"Of course, Tenarr. Thank you for your work," Amon replied, rose to feet and bowed shortly.

"It is what I do," answered the medic, bowed as well, and left.

Finally alone, Amon sat down and leaned back in his chair, frowning. Why was his inner in conflict with itself? He refused to give in and defy his own decisions. No matter how sick the Avatar was, she was not going to eat before she begged him for permission.

The thing that bothered him the most, however, was his reaction the moment he had realized that the Avatar was sick. He had felt a pang of desperation, panic. Damned spirits, he had even caressed her face and carried her to her bed, putting her down softly. He had been... _concerned_. He frowned in disgust, furious that his empathy had reached out to his enemy. She was a little, arrogant brat who thought too highly of herself because of her title. She was nothing special, and she certainly was no better than him or his men, to whom she had caused too much trouble already. She deserved everything that came to her. He should never have interrupted the guard who was about to molest her. She probably had brought it on to herself in the first place.

Also the inner scenario of the guard's hands roaming all over the Avatar's body brought a frown upon his face. No, it was good that he had stopped it in time. Such pleasures were reserved for him only. If anybody had deserved the joy of punishing the Avatar in such way, it surely was him.

It certainly was not jealousy, he defended as a last comment and finally brushed off the thoughts making him feel uncomfortable – which, in itself, made him angry at himself. No, at the Avatar. She made him _feel_ things he did not wish to feel at all.

And no, he was not jealous. Not the slightest bit.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Describing Tenzin's face as a frown would be an understatement. He was directly _furious_ as he knocked upon the door to Lin Beifong's small apartment. She almost stepped back in surprise when she opened the door and saw him.

"Come in," Lin said and stepped aside, letting the Air bender enter her home. They barely made it to the kitchen before Tenzin turned around, his eyes lighting.

"The boys and Asami never returned yesterday," he said, trying to hold his anger out of his voice, although it did not matter; his very features gleamed with emotion.

Lin's eyes widened briefly in horror. Then she frowned, completely aware of the consequences of this. Tenzin had not only lost one young woman for whose safety he was responsible; he had also lost three others who were not even his own to protect. Although he was not directly responsible for their disappearances, he could not help but feel that he could have done _something_ to hinder all four abductions in the first place. He could have forbidden Korra to go to Aang Memorial Island and fight Amon, although she would probably have hated him for it. And he could at least have been there to assist Korra's friends in their search for her.

They did not even know where the three had been kidnapped from. The only way to find out was to go through their list and search for them just as they had searched for Korra. If they were lucky, all four of them were held captured the same place. But luck seemingly never was on their side.

"We must look for them," Lin said. "All we have to work with is the list. We know it must be at one of those places where they were captured. It is most likely that it was the Equalists, seeing as the Equalists were the only ones with things to hide from the three." Tenzin nodded, feeling his temper cool down as they spoke.

"But you cannot bring the Police Force with you," Tenzin stated, remembering what Lin had said at their meeting the other day.

"Correct. This is something the two of us must do alone, although our positions will be at risk. If we were to be revealed-"

"It will not happen," Tenzin promised her. "We will proceed with utmost caution. We cannot afford to fail."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

_The cool autumn breeze hit her faze in a sweet caress as she reached the top of the hill. The sight was breathtaking from there, allowing her to see the most of Republic City, Air Temple Island, and the statue of Aang protecting the city. _

_Around her, stars were gathering on the oily black sky, drawing messages for her, promises of a future without war and evil. She felt her inner glow with hope._

"_Korra," called a familiar voice behind her. It was Mako. Behind him stood Bolin and Asami._

"_Korra," called Tenzin and Lin from her right. She turned to look at them. Their stares were hard._

"_Korra, sweetheart," said her mother and father from her left, to where she also turned. Their faces were black, without a mouth to even speak her name._

"_Avatar," said a voice in front of her. A glowing white porcelain mask with a permanent smile stared at her, hundreds of faceless warriors behind him._

"_Korra," called the spirits inside her head. "You have to choose." She closed her eyes to think. Why was she even in doubt? Of course she would choose-_

_When she opened her eyes, everything around her was burning. The city, the sea, her home. The greedy flames surrounded the hill, nearing her. In the middle of the flames hovered one certain white mask, the dark eyes and permanent smirk burning into her soul. The red circle on it's forehead turned to liquid – blood? - and ran down the porcelain, staining the mask as Amon's deep laughter echoed inside her mind._

"_Stop it!" she screamed, clutching her throbbing head. The flames were so close now, she could feel it burning her skin. Screams were heard in the distance. The statue of Aang started to bleed. Finally, it fell to the sea of flames._

_Amon's laughter turned even more evil._

"_Stop it," she hissed painfully, falling to her knees, seeing only flames before her._

"_I am you, Avatar. You cannot deny me," the mask answered, its mouth moving with each syllable._

_No. She was Korra. She was the Avatar. She was her **own**. _

"_Deny me and feel pain," continued the mask and disappeared just as the flames engulfed her, burning her, searing through her clothes and melting her skin._

_Pain._

_She tried to scream, drowning in flames._

_The last thing she heard was Amon's final laughter._

With a gasp, Korra awoke, eyes wide and teary and her breath completely uncontrollable. Her skin was burning hot, covered in sweat. The washcloth on her forehead was warm and almost dry. She took it and dipped it into the cold water in the bucket by her bed, putting it back on her face and lay back down.

The fever had made her sweat so much that her clothes clung to her skin, adding to the heat she was feeling. At least she was not freezing anymore, she noticed bitterly. For once.

Cupping her hands, she gathered some water and drank, realizing just how thirsty she was. And hungry. She had barely swallowed her third handful of water before her stomach tightened dangerously. Korra threw her upper body over the edge and threw up into the empty bucket. Nothing but water came out. But she could not stop the inner pressure she felt, and she threw up twice more, the sound and smell of her actions just fueling her to continue. But she held it in – whatever there was to hold in, anyway.

With a whimper, Korra tried to stand up. She needed to rid herself of her damp clothes. The moist in the fabric would cool down eventually, and it would have the same effect on her as though someone had emptied a bucked of water above her. The room temperature was far too low to vaporize the water particles in time. She needed something else to dress herself with.

Finally on her feet, Korra wrapped herself in the blankets. She hammered on the door a few times, waiting for the guard to react. When nothing happened, she tried to look out through the opening in the door. She could not see the guard, but she could hear him snoring.

"Hey," she said, her voice hoarse from not speaking for some time. The man grunted once, still not waking.

"Wake up!" Korra tried again, this time loudly enough to rip him from sleep.

"What is it?" grumbled the guard in annoyance.

"I wish to speak to Amon," the Avatar replied in a voice that was non-discussable, although still weak and raspy. The guard sighed exaggeratedly and rose from his seat. Although she could not see him, she heard his footsteps as he disappeared down the hallway.

She was surprised to find Amon answering to her summon so quickly. It took him mere minutes to face her through the opening in the door.

"I see that you are back on your feet," he commented monotonously. No compassion to spot in his voice, of course. She suppressed a bitter smile.

"Not quite," came her answer. "I need dry clothes. Please." The man considered her words for a moment.

"You have not earned anything of such privilege," he then replied, his golden eyes deadly serious behind his mask. Korra sighed.

"Consider it a trade then," the girl proposed, her eyes narrowing a bit. Amon did not seem like a man with whom one could easily negotiate. But it was worth a try. By the sound of her suggestion his eyes got a glint of... challenge? She barely had time to identify his expression before he masked it expertly.

"You have nothing to trade with which I cannot take by myself." His words had refused her offer, but she heard something in his voice that made her ignore his words. Was he entertained?

"Oh, I am quite sure I do," Korra answered with a foxy smile which surprised Amon. For someone who was ill with fever, she sure could maintain a facade.

"There are things you cannot take or steal. Something that can only be given willingly," Korra continued, feeling triumphant as she heard an amused huff from behind the porcelain mask.

"When will you be providing your part of the trade, then, young Avatar?"

"As soon we can agree upon what my part _is_," she replied. Knowing that she had already won this little game, she returned to her bed.

"Alright," she heard Amon's voice. "I will provide you with dry clothes. I will also decide when it is time for your payment, and just _what it is_." It was a risky game they were playing, and Korra knew. But she would escape before Amon would claim her payment. She was only doing what was necessary for her to survive. As for the food, she remembered, she would strike a deal when the time was right.

With a feeling of triumph, she sat down on the plank bed and closed her eyes. There was still something nagging at the back of her mind, she noticed. Something that needed to be done. She could not help but feel that, although Amon had agreed to give her dry clothes, he needed to be shown not to mess with the Avatar. For an Equalist who sought equality between benders and non-benders, he surely had misinterpreted his own concept, treating himself as a higher being compared to her. She would teach him how even they could be, and how even they _should_ be. And she had just the idea of how to do so.

It was not Amon who returned with her new clothes, however, and Korra decided to take her revenge soon enough. Changing into the new and fortunately also warmer clothes in the darkness, she returned to the bed with a thoughtful smile playing on her lips, the wonderful scenario playing in her mind as she drifted into slumber.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Mako groaned in discomfort as he awoke, his sore face pressed against cold stone floor. He heard the sound of rustling fabric from his right, and he looked to see what it was. Asami's concerned smile met his eyes. His face gleamed with relief for a brief moment until he realized were they were. He then cursed.

In the cell next to Asami's, Bolin was lying on the floor, a strained look on his sleeping face.

"Is he okay?" Mako whispered lowly, nodding towards his younger brother.

"He is just sleeping," came Asami's reply just as hushed. "It seems that you are the one who is hurt the most." A wry smile crossed his face. He had put up minimal resistance when facing the Equalists, having lost the fight even before it began. They had electrocuted him before knocking him unconscious. Such bastards!

"What about Korra?" Mako asked again, remembering why they were imprisoned in the first place. A sad look came over Asami's beautiful face as she shook her head.

"She is kept in another base, it seems," she whispered.

Mako sighed and managed to sit up despite the ropes binding him. He did not even have to test his bending to know that he had been chi-blocked. He had no idea of how long time it lasted, but in case they were to stay in the cells much longer, he would make sure to note whenever the block was renewed, seeing as it was only something to be done manually.

"Mako," Asami whispered and caught the Fire bender's attention. "What do we do now? How do we get out of here?" It pained Mako to know that he had no answer but a shrug.

Asami frowned. Mako was the strongest of the three of them, and almost always the one with a plan. The feeling of total powerlessness came over her. She knew what destiny awaited the boys, but she was unsure what punishment was arranged for herself. She had no bending to be purified of, but she doubted that Amon would let any of them, bender or not, go without a punishment that made them regret their actions for the rest of their lives.

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_Once again, thank you for reading! If you are starting to get impatient with the whole Amon X Korra thing (where the M rating gets relevant), I can tell you that there will be juicy scenes just around the corner. Have patience ;)_

_See you in the next chapter!_

_Love, MAL._


	6. Hunger

_Hello again, guys! I apologize for not updating for some days. I really felt I had a nice pace going on. Which is quite ironic, because all my other fan fictions are barely updated twice a year xD I am so amazed by the ambitiousness and commitment I am feeling with this story. It is amazing to have so much inspiration and drive to actually sit down for a whole day and do nothing but write and write. I must say, however, that my few days off did good to my inspiration, seeing as I have had time to think about my story and its plot before I was actually able to write anything of it down. I hope this has helped on the quality in general :)_

_Oh well, I missed you guys, as you see ( = me rambling) xD_

_This is, by far, my longest chapter so far. I usually write 6-7 pages; this chapter is 9 whole pages. It feels so good to have so much inspiration! I should celebrate it somehow :P_

_Anyway, enjoy! ^^_

_**Warning: **This chapter contains heavy sexual scenes. Do not proceed unless you are mature enough to handle it._

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**Chapter 6: Hunger**

Good spirits, being door guard to the Avatar's cell was not nearly as exciting as he had expected. He had imagined that the girl would put up a challenge, being annoying, or at least just _doing_ something. But no, the Avatar had not uttered a single word during his entire shift. He wished he had been there earlier. Hakim had told him of how the Avatar had suddenly hammered on the door, demanding audience with Amon. And when the two finally had started speaking, the girl had shown nerve enough to _bargain_ with the Equalist Leader, saying stuff which could imply... _things_.

But now, nothing exciting happened. The Avatar was asleep and gravely silent. He could not even hear her breathing anymore.

Wait a second. Maybe she _was not_ even breathing!

Hoping that this meant something, he stood and peeked in through the opening. The darkness made it difficult for him to even see the Avatar.

"Hey," he called in to the cell. No reply, not even a movement. He unlocked the door and went inside, stopping before her unmoving body with a safe distance. She could be faking. He had been warned. But as the girl lay there, her breaths so vague that he could barely hear them from this distance, he was sure there was something wrong. Was she deadly sick? He took no chances.

Locking the door behind him, he strode quickly down the hallway, excitement burning in his veins. He hoped he was not too late in noticing her worsened state. They needed her alive, after all.

He stopped in front of the well-known wooden door, knocking a couple of times maybe a bit too eagerly.

"Come in," answered the voice behind the door. He opened.

"The Avatar's state seems to have worsened. She is barely breathing," he told Amon and watched as the leader rose to feet.

"Go get the medic," he ordered, grabbing a set of spare keys to the Avatar's cell from the desk.

"On my way," said the guard and started running for the medic's chambers. Amon frowned and started walking, too.

He had been so generous and provided the Avatar with dry clothes, and she still kept getting sicker. Maybe he really ought to bring her something to eat, as the medic had advised him to do, he realized. He would let Tenarr take a look at her, and if he withheld that she needed food, he would see to it, he decided as he reached the door to her cell.

The lock clicked as the door was opened, and Amon stepped inside, his gaze directed toward the plank bed. When he realized that it was empty, it was already too late.

Cold water poured down his hood and soaked his uniform, small streams travelling down his mask, dripping onto his chest.

Never had Amon gotten so angry in so few seconds. He needed not to turn his gaze to know where she was. He let an arm collide with her body in such speed and with such force that Korra was sent flying against the wall.

She was given no time to get on to her feet; instantly he was on her, strangling her down against the hard floor, hammering her head up and down. She shrieked in pain, but nothing could stop him. This was her own fault.

"_You will regret this_," Amon hissed with so much wrath he could muster, surprising Korra, whose eyes widened.

Perhaps it had been a terrible idea, she realized. She stopped wriggling in his grasp, moving her hands up to each side of her face to signalize peace. Amon's grip did not loosen on her throat.

"Forget it!" he growled. "I am not done with you yet."

Footsteps interrupted them. The medic had arrived. Amon did not even turn to greet his employee.

"Leave us," he demanded harshly. "_Both_ of you." Tenarr and the door guard almost froze in terror, then nodded and quickly disappeared, closing the door behind them.

Finally alone and out of danger of being interrupted, Amon let his porcelain forehead rest on the base of Korra's neck, surprising the girl.

"I had never though it would come to this," he panted, his voice now a whisper, but still with such icy coldness that Korra's heart seemed to stop for an instant. "Not like this, anyway."

Korra was given no time to understand what Amon was talking about, before she was dragged toward the bed, tugged by her hair. Once there, she was forced down upon its hard surface, Amon placing his entire weight upon her, pinning her arms down by the wrists by one hand only. He moved his face to her ear.

"I want this to hurt like nothing you have ever experienced before." A shiver ran down her spine. Was he going to...?

His next action answered her question. He let his free hand travel up under her dark shirt, his cool skin against her feverish and still moist skin. He was so cold that it was almost uncomfortable. Almost.

His hand cupped her breast, his rough thumb running over her hardened nipple, causing unwanted reactions in the lower part of her belly. Her breath hitched for a moment, causing a devilish smirk on Amon's hidden lips.

His hand left her breast, travelling downward to work the buttons of her borrowed pants, slipping in beneath the fabric once he had finished. He granted himself access in between her thighs, caressing her soft skin playfully, making the girl arch against his touch unwillingly.

"S-stop it," she stuttered, her eyes betraying the anger she felt while the rest of her body seemed to have forgotten it, including her voice. Amon let a finger slide along the underside of her panties, feeling the damp fabric. He pressed lightly against her, receiving a gasp in return.

Despite her harsh words and growing defiance, her body was weak to his touch. Perfect and deliciously horrible. It only made him want to tease her more.

Letting a finger find its way in under the final layer of fabric, he pressed against that well-known spot, making Korra bite her lower lip in order to suppress the mewl that threatened to reveal itself. He heard it, however, sending his own hormones on a frenzy. Avatar or not, Korra still possessed a body with the ability to make him eager.

Without warning, he slipped that one finger inside her, pressing against the roof of her core, rubbing, teasing. Korra tried to yank her arms free of his touch, and Amon decided it was about time to paralyze them, which he did with a few stabs of his finger.

"Bastard," hissed the girl, knowing how helpless she had just become.

Now, with two hands available, Amon started to peel off her clothes. Still with a finger inside of her, stimulating her, he tugged her shirt and bindings up, revealing those creamily soft breast which he had only had the pleasure of touching until now. He slid the shirt above her head, watching intensely as the girl's eyes narrowed at him.

Using the same hand, he slid down her pants and the last piece of underwear, her body now flashed entirely before him. Greedily, he took in the sight of her tanned, soft skin. Especially those round breasts and the hardened nipples decorating them caught his attention.

Korra was surprised to see as Amon removed his hood and pushed his mask aside, although very little, revealing only his lips. The darkness around them made it difficult for her to see his features.

Then, taking her by surprise again, he bent down and caught one of her nipples between his teeth, biting her, which sent a jolt of pain and pleasure though her body.

As Amon's body pressed against hers, she felt his cold and wet clothes against her skin, making her shudder. It still dripped a bit, the stray drops of water running down her skin.

He could hold himself no longer, Amon realized. The whole scenario had excited him to a level he had not experienced in years. Korra thought she caught glimpse of a smirk crossing his lips as he withdrew his finger and crushed his hard crotch against her sensitive skin. And Amon thought he saw the Avatar's eyes roll back a bit. He heard her throated moan for sure.

Korra felt a pang of disappointment as Amon withdrew his body from hers. Then she felt her insides burn with longing as she realized that he was undoing his pants. Lastly, she froze when she realized that she enjoyed it as Amon leaned back in over her and placed the tip of his erection at her entrance.

_No_, she thought with a frown. _This must not happen!_

But it was too late already. Without warning, Amon pressed himself halfway inside of her, receiving a broken cry of pain in the process. He caught her lips with his and drowned her next sound of discomfort as he pressed himself in entirely, breaking the seal of virginity for good.

Her body had tensed against him. She was feeling pain. Good.

Roughly, he grabbed Korra's thighs and made the girl wrap her legs around him surprisingly willingly. Beginning to rock his hips against hers, he felt how pleasure started to build up inside of him, slowly but definitely.

When he decided that Korra was only feeling moderate amounts of pain from his thrusts, he released her lips, thrilled to find her moaning shortly after. It was amazing how much her sounds affected him, he noticed, suddenly slamming their bodies together. As predicted, Korra cried in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

She did not want him to stop. The feeling of him inside of her... The feeling of the orgasm building itself up, the familiar tightness in her belly. She hated to admit it, but she wanted him to finish his work now that he had started it. She _needed_ it. And it was more than visible on the way she moved against him.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked the man above her, his own voice slightly moved by their activity.

"Shut up," she bit back lowly, receiving a series of rough thrusts for her disrespectful words. It did not quite feel like punishment in her nether regions, however, and Korra moaned even louder now, exciting Amon even more.

Then, out of the blue, she came. And she came hard. Throwing her head back into the blankets, her hips arching tightly against his, forcing Amon even deeper into her.

Such a move was crucial, Amon noted, as he was pulled over the edge of pleasure instantly, too.

He almost did not manage to pull himself out in time. Withdrawing himself, he came on her stomach, sending waves of warm liquid against the soft flesh of her belly.

Then, as soon as the pleasurable throbbing had faded in both of them, they remembered their surroundings. With a sneer, Korra used her legs to push Amon away from her.

"Do not _ever_ touch me again. _Ever_!" she hissed, confused, ashamed, angry, and most importantly _betrayed_. By herself.

Amon stood up and quickly dressed himself, sliding on his hood and correcting his mask into place.

"That is not something for you to decide," Amon replied monotonously, having regained his facade already. He pressed his fingers against her arms in the same pattern as before, letting his touch remove the blockades he had created in her nerve system. Movement crept into Korra's arms gradually, and she pulled on her clothes again.

"I hope this has taught you a thing or two about behaviour," Amon commented dryly and left her cell. The lock clicked as the key was turned.

Korra buried her face into the blankets and lost her fight against the tears.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

When night had come and left most of the Republic City dark, a few lights here and there by those who were still awake this late hour, Tenzin and Lin met in front of the neighbour house to the first location from the youngsters' list. The plan was to go through the list chronologically just like they had done before their disappearances. Eventually they would stumble upon the same as _they_ had done.

The first place was a cellar from one of the city's bookstores, in which suspiciously many Equalists had been spotted in the last week. The store had been closed for many hours now, the lights behind the windows extinguished. There was no way that Lin wished to break into a closed store during the night. Closing her eyes, she let her foot collide with the pavement just outside the store, sending waves of movement through the ground. As far as her powers reached, she found no signs of life or any other kind of activity in the cellar.

"Nothing," Lin informed shortly and watched as Tenzin drew a cross on the map. When done, they moved to the next building.

Having taken precautions, both of them, they had dressed in something similar to civilian clothes, hiding their faces with hooded coats. Only those who recognized their voices, or perhaps their bending techniques, were able to identify them from a distance. So far they had yet to pass by any familiar face.

"We will have to split up our search over a few nights. I really do not have the time to sneak around forever. I have work to do in the morning," Lin said as they strolled down the road. "But I am sure you already know this." Tenzin nodded in agreement.

"I do not have infinite amounts of time either," Tenzin sighed. He really hoped that they were lucky and found the youngsters in time, and it would be icing on the cake if it were tonight. But with their current luck, something told Tenzin that it was most likely not going to be the case. He just hoped that they came in time. After all, Amon usually stocked up his captured benders for the weekly purification ceremony. If he remembered correctly, they still had three days left to search.

It took them some time arriving at the next place. Tenzin sighed as it turned out to be a dirty alley with nothing but an entrance to the sewers.

Tenzin sent Lin a dubious glance, receiving only a shrug in return. Then the police chief started to remove the heavy iron lid from the sewer entrance.

"I hope you are going to make bubbles with fresh air around us, because this will get messy."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Korra awoke with a feeling of emptiness inside of her. She almost smiled wryly as she concluded that this was the first time during her imprisonment that the emptiness had been more physical than mental. She had not eaten in... what? Four whole days now? She was losing grip of time as the time passed by, the days merging into one long night filled with darkness, cold, and nightmares. And loneliness.

Her stomach churned greedily.

She was blessed enough to have clear water most of the time, which was the most important resource for her survival, but the days she could go unfed were coming to an end. She was getting weaker for every passing day, and without her bending there was almost no strength left for her to use should she need to. And now that Amon had forced her to do something which she had not even expected him to want, she had a feeling that she would soon need her strength. Especially if she should have any chance of escaping at the next given opportunity.

Korra's stomach growled again, letting a feeling of hollowness spread inside of her. She sat up and wrapped the blankets around herself.

_I really do not want to kneel before Amon and beg for food, but at this rate I am not going to make it out alive. And I am not getting stronger by this_, Korra thought with a frown. _And I wish to defend myself if Amon should try anything else with me. I need more strength._

She would have to beg him for food. She doubted that he would accept more trades from her until he was paid for their first trade, which she was not even planning to do at all. Amon was not the only one playing it unfair. She could lie and manipulate as well.

Leaning back against the stone wall, Korra closed her eyes, thinking. Another frown brought the corner of her lips downward. Never had she been the type to beg for anything. Why should she change herself just because of Amon? If she agreed to kneel and beg once, she would probably have to do so every time she needed _anything_, just because Amon could force her.

No, she would not beg him for food. She would bite her lip and wait until the Equalist Leader was forced to feed her in order to keep her alive. It had to be done eventually. Why was it her who needed to go on a compromise with herself? It did not have to be. She could take control of her situation. It only took some work, and time.

Almost startled by the sudden knock on the door – since when had people started _knocking_? They usually just barged inside – Korra turned toward the vaguely familiar man who entered her cell. It was the medic, she recognized.

"How are you feeling?" asked the man. Like last time, there was absolutely no trace of compassion or concern in his voice. Despite this he was the man who had cared most for her during her captivity, technically.

"The fever is gone. But I still have a cold," Korra replied, offering the medic just as much personal indifference as she was receiving. The man nodded and, much to her dismay, proceeded closer to her. When he bent close to her, his face on the same level as hers, she felt panic and pressed herself back closer against the wall. The man's rough hand grabbed her chin and examined her face briefly, releasing her again shortly after just in time to receive a growl from the girl's stomach.

"I thought so," he muttered silently to himself. "When was the last time you ate something?" Korra was surprised by his question, but she was also kind of flattered. As a medic, he had to take note of her condition and health in general. Although a part of his job, he still was the only one where who actually _did_ something to keep her healthy. It would have been a bit less unpleasant to be their captive if Amon had had this in common with the medic. A sneer wrinkled her nose. But of course Fate had chosen the worst thing possible on her behalf.

"The evening before I was brought here," Korra answered, still not sure how many days had passed since her fight with Amon on Aang Memorial Island. Everything seemed so distant now.

Without words, the medic nodded and left her cell.

It took Tenarr less than a minute to reach Amon's office. As usual, he knocked twice and was allowed inside. And as usual, Amon was sitting behind his desk, bent over some kind of paperwork, scribbling things down. He looked up once having finished the page.

"What can I do for you, Tenarr?" the masked man asked and folded his hands in his usual sitting-and-talking position, the fingertips resting against each other.

"The Avatar needs food," the medic informed his superior monotonously. "She will not last much longer like this."

Having reconsidered the subject before, which had led to disagreement because of the Avatar's ambush, Amon was in no doubt about this whole deal. The deal was that the Avatar had to beg before she was given anything to eat. And as far as he was concerned, this had yet to happen.

"Temporary starvation is a part of her disciplining. I cannot ignore my schemes." Amon's voice was stern. The man was just as stubborn as the Avatar, the medic noted with a sigh.

"She will die otherwise," the medic pointed out. "And we need her, right?" His words seemed to have an effect. Amon stood up and mused for a moment.

"I am quite sure that the Avatar will beg at my feet just in time," Amon then said, receiving an amused huff from Tenarr.

"She is just as stubborn as you are, Amon. Would _you_ have given up in her place?"

"Of course not," answered the mask without any trace of doubt. The medic smiled in minor victory.

"My point exactly," he then said. "Besides, Horan is already cooking for us. What is a bowl of food more or less to us? In this case, it can save the life of someone whom we will have to feed eventually, anyway. I see no need to postpone it furthermore." Tenarr watched as Amon tensed for each word. The masked man let his arms bend back and rest against the lower part of his back, starting to move toward the medic.

"I am well aware of this whole situation, Tenarr, and I do not doubt the severity of the ongoing process of disciplining the Avatar. But you must understand that this is an internal struggle between me and her which I cannot lose. I want her to know that she is nothing special just because of her title. This is what equalism is about." Amon's voice was calm and calculated as if this very speech had been prepared for Tenarr already. A wry smile tugged at the medic's lips.

"No," he then said. "Equalism is about making us even. I do not see equality in any of this. You get to eat thrice a day while she is not eating _at all_. I do not see how you can justify this." Behind the porcelain mask, Amon's golden eyes narrowed. Then, an act completely unexpected to the medic, Amon smashed his fist down against the surface of the desk.

"_This is non-discussable_," Amon said harshly, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. "And if you will not support the methods I use to reach our goal, I doubt we _do_ share the same goal." His words had been carefully selected, but Tenarr did not miss any of their true meaning. Feeling that this was the clue he had been waiting for, the medic turned away from the white mask glaring at him.

"Perhaps you are right," he said calmly. "I think this has gone too far. You do not have my support anymore, and until this is over I do not wish to work for you."

Silence.

When Tenarr realized that Amon was not going to reply, he nodded and left, a strange feeling of relief in his chest as he closed the door behind him.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Although she was on the verge to falling asleep, Korra registered voices muttering softly from outside the door. Change of guard, she concluded. She had figured out the system already. Usually, the twenty-four hours of the day would be divided into four shifts of approximately six hours each. One of the regular shifts happened just around dinnertime in the evening. The new guard had eaten just before he would replace the other, while the newly dismissed guard would be heading straight for wherever the Equalists ate. She supposed it was together in some sort of cafeteria. The guards, whose brief chatter she had heard through the small opening in the door, seemed to know each other too much for them to be dining on their own every day.

The thought about dining with Tenzin's family, her own family, or even her friends, caused a pang of sadness inside of her. She remembered the evening just before she was to meet Amon on Aang Memorial Island. Pema had provided them a wonderful supper, but she had ruined the atmosphere at the dinner table. Tenzin had once again tried to persuade her to stay home instead. He had been afraid that she was not strong enough to survive, or that she would have her bending taken away. But she had been stubborn and angry, yelling that she knew what she was doing and that she needed to face Amon in a final battle. Oh, how she wished she had never gone in the first place. Then everything would have been like before. Although it had not been perfect back then, it had been rather pleasant and not even nearly as lonely as now.

Korra sighed. The loneliness was the worst part of being imprisoned. Even back home with the Southern Water Tribe clan it was ten times more lively than here despite her clan living in a small encampment outside of town. She missed those cold winter nights where she and her family would gather around the bonfire over which her mother had cooked a delicious stew. They would sit tightly side by side with a bowl of food each, eating, chatting, laughing.

Just as sleep embraced her weary mind, the door to her cell was opened. Korra sat up in surprise and watched as two vaguely familiar men entered. Through the heavy shadows she recognized them as the chi-blockers.

"Get up," one of them demanded. Having neither mental nor physical strength to resist, Korra pushed herself upon feet, swaying in weakness. Usually one of them just stood and watched her with cautiousness as the other stabbed her back with those unbelievable uncomfortable fingers, blocking her chi paths. Now the second man held her tightly by her shoulders to make sure she did not lose balance during the chi-blocking process. The quick, hard stabs could easily push her over when she was this weak.

Having gotten used to the process, Korra just stood expressionless as her bending was once again taken away from her temporarily. At first she had hoped they would forget to chi-block her just once. A mere spark of her bending abilities would be enough for her to escape. But she had come to realize that the Equalists were sharply observant when it came to benders. Never had she even been _close_ to regaining her powers. They came almost every day to perform the procedure on her back, and it annoyed her that she was getting too used to it. It should anger her, should make her scream and struggle against their touch, but she did not. She just stood there and accepted what they did to her.

When they had finished, the two men left, and Korra sat down on the edge of her bed. She watched their backs turn to the right in the hallway, her mind indifferent until she noticed that the door was left open behind them. Before the opportunities were intercepted by her mind, someone came in.

Korra watched the person with wide eyes, her mind going blank by the sight of the filled tray in his hands. Food. Sweet spirits, it was _food_. For _her_. She almost could not believe her own eyes.

The man placed the tray beside the girl, whose gaze still clung to the bowl of soup which sent her senses into a frenzy. She could almost cry in bliss. Almost.

Korra literally threw herself over the tray. It was the first decent food she had seen in almost a week now. The possibilities of the food being poisoned or dangerous in any way did not even cross her mind. And if it did, she ignored it.

Wrapping her cold hands around the warm bowl, she almost sighed in happiness. The feeling of warmth like this had been so remote for far too long now. The spoon on the tray was never put to use; Korra drank from the bowl slowly, savouring the taste of life. She was far lost in thoughts when the man, who had stationed himself at the door, started to speak:

"I was told to inform the Avatar that Amon will be away for a short while. He also wished that I tell you to behave while he is gone, seeing as he will be informed of your every move from now on."

Korra was almost choking on her soup. Amon was _away_!? What could he possibly be doing away from his captive whom he did not even trust to behave? Korra put the bowl down for a moment.

"What is he doing away?" she asked, immediately taken aback and surprised that her voice had sounded sad in a way that it certainly should not. Luckily, the mad did not seem to have noticed.

"He said that you would probably ask," the man replied with a hint of provocation in his voice. "It is not anything of your concern, however."

"I see," Korra answered. She could not help but feel a bit disappointed in Amon's choice of secrecy. Or perhaps it was the fact that it had not been Amon himself who had told her. Korra shook her head. No, it was a good thing that he had decided to stay away, she decided. After what he had done to her, she would rather not see him at all.

Korra finished her meal in silence, a frown on her face. No matter how much logic she used to explain her own reactions and feelings, she did not believe herself entirely. She could not help but feel angry about the fact that Amon had been a chicken and fled without a word. It seemed that she was not the only one regretting what had happened earlier that day. And somehow, even though she knew it was wrong of her to think so, she could not help but feel disappointed that Amon also did regret it.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter, seeing as it has major importance for the further development in Korra and Amon's relationship. Things will start to happen from now on._

_Please leave a Review and let me know what you thought of it. Loved it? Hated it? Was it too unrealistic and too OOC? Tell me :3_

_Love, MAL._


	7. Persuasion

_Sorry for the delay. I have had a lot of things to attend to these days. I hope to regain my usual pace very soon. Please bear with me until then!_

_This chapter contains very little action whatsoever. But it is always calm just before the storm, right? ;)_

_Please do enjoy!_

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

**Chapter 7: Persuasion**

Much to her pleasure, Asami had been allowed to go to the toilet since the cells contained no such facility. Her hands were released temporarily once she had been led to the toilet. Being able to use her hands again and move around was amazing. The thought that she would be bound again once finished made her procrastinate as much as she could without it being too obvious.

When she returned outside to meet the Equalist who had guarded the door and was about to be tied up again, a vaguely familiar voice interrupted the process.

"Please bring the girl to my office instead." By the sound of Amon's voice, Asami was surprised into brief immobility, her mind going blank. What was Amon doing here? And where was Korra? Questions started to form in her head, but she kept her mouth shut.

Mako and Bolin watched with wide eyes as she passed the hallway and was led upstairs.

Asami watched Amon's back silently as they went through the web of narrow hallways. They passed many doors on their way, but all of them were closed. She had always wondered what those Equalist bases were hiding from the rest of the people, especially the Avatar and her allies. Her wonder was still far from satisfied as they stopped by a door completely alike the others; a bare wooden door with a silver-coloured handle. Amon opened the door and entered a small and dimly lit room, Asami pushed right after him. The Equalist closed the door behind her.

"Please, do take a seat," Amon offered and gestured to one of the chairs surrounding the table in the middle of the room. Asami had no idea of how to react to all of this, so she sat down and watched as Amon took seat opposite of her. His white porcelain mask greeted her with a painted smile, which made Asami feeling uncomfortable.

"I hope you have not been handled too roughly," Amon continued, his voice smooth and friendly in a way she had never witnessed before. It was crystal clear to her that he was up to something that she might not like the idea of. She chose to remain silent until he told her what he really wanted to tell her. She doubted that he had brought her in to just chatter.

By her silence, Amon figured that he would be better off just cutting right to the chase. Asami was no girl to be fooled by hollow sweet-talk; a trait she had inherited from her father, and a trait which he would take advantage of in his own way.

"Alright, I might as well get to the point already. I have a proposition for you, Asami," Amon said as he leaned in over the table, pressing his fingers together. "I want you to join the Equalists." Asami's jade green eyes widened in disbelief. It was understandable back then when her father had tried to persuade her to join him, but now Amon _himself_ was proposing the very same thing.

"I am flattered by your offer, Amon. But I will never join your army. Not with that goal of yours," Asami said, her voice calm an collected. She needed to control her emotions in front of this man. He proposed a danger to her and everyone she held dear.

"You do not strive for equality between benders and non-benders? You have no desire in punishing those who hurt innocent people – such like your mother?" The key word. Her mother. Amon felt joy as he saw Asami's expression turn aloof, her eyes expressing anger from the memories flashing before her inner mind.

"Benders have torn your family apart, Asami. You mother was killed, and your father loathes the very kind of people who ripped away his loved ones. I understand how he feels. My family, too, was slaughtered in cold blood by benders," Amon continued. "I want no compassion, however. I want revenge over those people by taking away their ability to ever hurt anyone again." Asami nodded unconsciously for a moment. Then, suddenly, her expression became present as her eyes narrowed.

I thought I made it clear to my father that I have no desire in joining the Equalists," the girl hissed, remembering the fight she had had with her father weeks ago.

"Did it ever occur to you how much it has pained your father to see his only remaining girl being taken away from him and joining those whom he hates with his whole heart?" Amon's words were soft and contained a dominating undertone of compassion for Asami's father. "I have spoken to him many times by now. He has often told me how much he misses his only daughter."

Of course her father missed her, and she had to admit that she missed him too. She was almost convinced by Amon's speech. Almost.

Abruptly Asami stood up, her eyes glinting with anger.

"How _dare_ you use my father as a tool in your persuasion!? If my father missed me, he would have contacted me. You are using him as a reason for me to join you, even though it is truly _your_ wish to attain my alliance," Asami spoke with harsh words, watching as Amon's masked eyes narrowed. He had failed, and he knew.

"Very well," the man answered coolly and stood up as well. "I will have someone escort you back to your cell. You will receive a punishment along with your friends."

As if he had been listening at the door, the Equalist from before entered and grabbed her by the upper arm. Just as she was about to get dragged away, Asami remembered something important.

"But I am willing to do a trade," she spoke hastily, surprising both Amon and the guard. The guard released her, and the girl continued: "I will join you if you release my friends unharmed. All _three_ of them." It was very unlikely, but she had no idea how much value she had to Amon and his army. Maybe he found the trade reasonable. But as Amon snorted in amusement, Asami knew she had been wrong.

"Trade denied," Amon said sternly, and Asami was dragged away.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

It was reluctantly that Tenzin followed Lin and fled the scene, four members of the newly discovered bender gang chasing them closely. Tenzin had to dodge a wave of fireballs as they rounded the corner and darted toward the exit. Right before leaving the building, Tenzin turned around and sent a strong air blast against the criminals trailing them, sending all of them back against the wall. He was soon relieved to find that they were no longer following them.

Lin sighed loudly, sending Tenzin a dark look.

"I told you _not_ to turn left in the hallway," she said and rubbed her temples with a frown. Those damned bending criminals had almost managed to trap her on her way out because of Tenzin's mistake. For an elegant Air bender, he surely was terrible at breaking into buildings and sneaking around without getting discovered. Because of his excellent bending skills, he never really had to hide from his enemies; he could face them directly and still get out unharmed. But in a quest like this one, discretion was required. She hoped that neither of them were arrested for trespassing; with Tarrlok as the most prominent and powerful councilman, hoping to be spared would be plain stupidity. Having two of his rivals in jail would only strengthen his own status in the eyes of the citizens and the entire Republic City.

"I am quite certain that I never did turn left in the hallway," Tenzin defended as Lin crossed out a location on the map. She ignored his words with another sigh. Clearly, the unpleasant event mere moments ago had put her nerves on an end. The entire way to the next location on the list was travelled in silence.

The next location – and also the last one for the night – was an abandoned warehouse. Lin remembered the place clearly. She had been the one to notice it and label it suspicious. She remembered having seen a lot of Equalist activity nearby, which had led her to the warehouse. She had checked whose name it was registered under, and she had wondered why the owner was not even a citizen of Republic City. The name could have been randomly chosen by an Equalist disguising himself as another man. More importantly, the warehouse was said to have been for sale for more than two months without any interested buyers. In the center of the capital, it was most unlikely that any building would stand abandoned for this long.

When they entered and the lights turned on, Lin's suspicions grew. The warehouse was not even completely empty.

She and Tenzin departed temporarily to search through the enormous building. They both darted straight toward the few small piles of boxes and peeked inside, both with a frown of disappointment on their faces.

Looking around and seeing nothing but torn curtains and concrete walls, Lin caught Tenzin's attention with a sour nod.

"There is nothing here either," she spoke. Tenzin sighed. Together, they left the warehouse in silence. Neither of them noticed the tip of the door handle sticking out from behind one of the curtains on their way out.

"We will visit the remaining three locations tomorrow. I am sure they must be in one of them," Lin reassured her old friend once they were about to depart, a hand resting on his drooping shoulder. Tenzin tried to muster a smile, but it died before it had even reached his lips. He had a feeling that they had missed something on their way, and that this was their only clue to find Korra's friends.

"Goodnight," Tenzin said in a whisper. Then he created a small whirlwind to carry him home.

"Goodnight," answered Lin just before the man was too far away to hear her. With a sigh, she started to walk toward her apartment. Another night alone.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

The day had been very long and very boring. It was not that Korra enjoyed being in trouble or being disturbed, but she did not enjoy doing nothing for hours upon hours either.

For the very first time since her arrival, she had been served food three times a day. The food was nothing special in taste or quality, and had she been home eating it she would have been a bit disappointed. But here, every single spoonful of plain, cold rice was a treat. She could easily feel how good the food had done to her system. Her fever was gone entirely now, and her head felt clear.

How ironic it was, she had never felt this good physically since the beginning of her imprisonment. Her state of mind, however, was in an entirely other condition. Thoughts that surprised her, shocked her, or even directly disgusted her, had been running through her mind all day. It was exhausting to hate one self this much, she had concluded.

It bothered her how much she had been thinking about the things Amon had done to her, and yes, she was nothing less than furious at him. The damned bastard had _raped_ her! When she managed to escape someday, however, this was not something she would tell anyone. It had been so wrong on so many levels. And it had felt so _good_. The latter was what had bothered her the most, and it disgusted her that a part of her had enjoyed it. And that part was not entirely physical.

It was amazing, she decided, how things so simple could fuck her life up this much. The moment she had chosen to challenge Amon to a duel in the radio news, she had had no idea of what could or would happen. And this was probably what she had least expected to happen. A wry smile tugged at her lips. Luck never was on her side when she needed it, was it?

It was now hours since she had eaten supper. Sitting with her back to the wall, the back of her head leaned back against the cold and hard surface, Korra's thoughts once again drifted to her friends. The mere thought of their imprisonment made her blood boil with anger. They were most likely treated just as badly as she was, except there had been no Amon to hurt them.

Then it hit her. A frown creased her brow. Amon was probably away to work on the arrangements for the weekend's ceremonial bender purification. And Mako and Bolin were bound to be among those victims who were about to be robbed of their bending. Korra tightened her fists unconsciously. How she wished she was there with them. Together they were stronger. Perhaps they could have escaped, had they merely been in the same cell.

A sadness overcame her, and she closed her eyes. She really hoped they had been – or were soon to be – rescued. Of course, Tenzin had already noticed that Mako, Bolin, and Asami had disappeared too. Hopefully he was searching for them first. Although her friends were strong in mind, none of them could handle to be purified. _She_ could take care of herself, for now. As long Amon kept his word that he would save her for last, she did not have to worry about her well-being – from now on, at least. She could withstand his mind games. After all, everything would be back to normal when she escaped, right?

No. She should stop lying to herself. Of course it would never be the same as before. If she got out alive and with her bending intact, she would still go back to hating Amon and the Equalists, but she would not be able to forget or deny their moments of intimacy. The memories would haunt her for the rest of her life. It was an irremovable scar on her soul.

The very thought of her naked body pressed against Amon's made her shudder in disgust. The feeling of dirtiness was still lingering to her body even after two poor attempts on washing herself in the bucket of water. She could still catch the faint odour of him if she concentrated, and now she could not seem to ignore it; the feeling of something unfamiliar, something wrong. Unnatural.

With a frown she stood up and almost ripped her clothes off, ignoring the cold creeping into her bones, her bare feet against the concrete floor. Nothing mattered now except ridding herself of his smell permanently. She could not stand it anymore.

Cupping her hands and filling them, she splashed the cold water onto her bare skin. Her soaked hands glided over her breasts, her belly, her throat, her inner thighs, her movements rushed and feverish. No matter how much she told herself that he was gone, she could not help but remember the feeling of his touch, his hand groping the very places she was now trying to wash. Her hands felt like his, too rough, too quick.

_He is gone_, she told herself again. _These are my hands._

She bit her bottom lip and kept washing her cooling skin, her hands repeating the very route which Amon's hands had travelled. More water. Quicker. Harder.

_He is not here!_

It made no difference. No reasoning could make her forget. As her feelings reached climax, she let her forehead rest against the wall, the tears rolling down her cheeks. Warm and quick. Like his movements.

The smell of him was still present. Perhaps it was the room itself that smelled of him.

_Why will it not go away?_

Without realizing, Korra bit her lip so hard it started to bleed. It did not matter. Nothing mattered anymore, did it? She tried to swallow her sobs. It was futile. She was not strong enough. The tears just kept coming, falling.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, she climbed on to the bed, tugging the blankets around her still naked and damp body. The back of her head leaning back against the wall. She was freezing. It did not matter. Nothing did.

In this very position, Korra fell asleep. A vague slumber filled with nightmares of pain and those rough, warm hands groping her from everywhere, strangling her.

The Lieutenant was on his way to check up on their captive this late evening in order to report back to Amon once he got back. Looking in through the opening in the door, he saw the girl in her miserable state, and he could not ignore the feeling that there was something wrong in the way that she was crying and whimpering in her sleep.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

With a tired sigh, Asami shifted her position once again, her back now turned to the door of her cell. She closed her eyes again and tried to breathe slowly and deeply. It did not work. Although she was exhausted from discomfort and starvation, she could not let her mind go blank and fall asleep. Thoughts were running through her mind; thoughts she could not seem to ignore.

Amon. The man who had ruined her life, ripped her family apart, and hurt her friends. The man who had just offered her salvation in the exchange of her loyalty to her friends. He had been playing dirtily, using her beloved father as a tool in his quest of persuading her to join the Equalists. Yes, she missed her father, and yes, she wanted revenge for the death of her mother. But it was not something that should be used to hurt her friends furthermore. Her friends were her family now. She would never do anything to hurt them, or betray their loyalty. It would break their hearts if she were to join Amon.

But she had to admit to herself that if she had never met Mako and his friends, she would most likely already have been part of the Equalists by now. Everything except from her friends pointed toward that this was the way she finally got revenge for her mother. It was hard to watch the people whom she loved being divided in this war, her friends on one side and her father on the other. It had felt right to take side by her friends. But she could not help but feel...

_No_, she thought with a frown. _Do not even go there. I made the right choice._

She sighed and turned to lie on her back. She wished that Amon had never shown up in the first place. Before he had shown up and started the Anti-Bender Campaign and founded the Equalists, everything had been perfect. She and her father had been leading a nice life with focus on the Future Industries. She had really enjoyed working together with her father, and she had been looking forward to one day taking over the company. But it was all long gone now, slipped through her fingers as if it had been pure sand, or a dream. All because of Amon and his success in persuading her father to join him and provide the Equalists weapons.

Or maybe, she realized, it was her own fault, for befriending Mako in the first place. She honestly had not cared about benders before the day she accidentally drove into him on the street.

_Stop it, Asami!_ she told herself. _Meeting Mako, Bolin, and Korra was the best thing that has ever happened to you!_

Throwing a glance at Mako's sleeping form, Asami smiled. She really loved them. They were her family now, no matter how many alien thoughts Amon managed to put into her head. She would never doubt herself or her choice. And she would certainly never join Amon and the Equalists, no matter what punishment such compliance would spare her.

She remembered the boys' glances from earlier, when she had been escorted back to her cell and tied up again. They had witnessed as she had been led to Amon's private office, neither of them knowing for what purpose. Apparently, suspicions had erupted in them while she had been gone; she had seen the confusion in Bolin's eyes and the slight frown on Mako's face. A frown she knew had hidden unpleasant thoughts. Not that it had been unfair of him to feel that something was wrong, because something _was_ wrong. She had been offered freedom all while they had been sitting in their cells, both of them knowing that their lives as benders were about to end.

A disgusting feeling of guilt and disloyalty had been nagging at the back of her mind ever since the unexpected meeting. Although she had refused Amon's offer bluntly, she could not help but feel bad about the fact that she had actually _been offered a choice_; an offer which neither of her friends would ever get because of their innate abilities. It was not her fault, nor was it theirs. They were benders, she was not. It was neither her fault nor her choice that she was not born a bender like them, she knew. But despite all this she could not rid herself of the uncomfortable stream of thoughts nor the feeling that she had betrayed her friends just for receiving such an offer.

Perhaps some of the guilt was caused by the fact that she had not told them the entire truth about the meeting. Of course, they had asked her about Amon's intentions with it. She had told them that Amon had wanted to discuss her father's role among the Equalists with the sole purpose of making her angry and feel betrayed by her father. She had been angry, yes. But the purpose with the meeting had been to recruit her. She could not tell them this. She would lose their faith, she was sure of it. How could they possibly believe her if she told them she had refused an offer of freedom? And how would they react if they knew she had offered Amon her compliance in exchange for their freedom?

She shifted again to lie on her side, face turned to the front of her cell. A guard passed their cells in order to make sure the captives were causing no troubles this late night. It was obvious that Asami was the only one still awake. She kept her expression straight and turned her gaze away from his.

The guard gave a thoughtful grunt and returned to his seat just outside the room.

Asami listened as the man fell asleep again.

How long would it be until the ceremony? She knew they had only a few days left now until it was too late. She hoped that someone, just _someone_, would find them in time and rescue them. The punishment for her was not what she feared the most; the thing that would break her entirely was to witness Mako and Bolin's lives being ruined in an instant by one too powerful man. They would be devastated. She could already see their blank faces before her inner eye. It was too easy to hurt them.

The thought pained her more than anything she could imagine. Her closed eyes started to sting, the corner of her eyes invaded by tears. Then she took a decision.

If it became necessary, and if it was her very last resort, she would make a new offer; an offer she knew Amon could not refuse.

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_As usual, thank you for reading! I hope you liked what you saw/read :3_

_The next chapter should be far more exciting!_

_Love, MAL._


	8. Precautions

_Hello, my lovely readers! Thank you so much for still reading. I hope you all still have patience with me even after this sudden break. I have had a lot to attend to the past week. I apologize for not warning you in time! ^^;_

_As promised, a bit of action. Please enjoy! :3_

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**Chapter 8: Precautions**

_Tomorrow_. The word echoed in her mind as she sat with her back up against the wall, her eyes closed and a heavy feeling in her chest. Tomorrow was the day of the usual weekly ceremony. Tomorrow was the day her friends would be robbed of their bending. Their lives would be ruined. It would be the end of the Fire Ferrets, the end of sparring with each other, and maybe even the end of their friendship. After all, it was her fault that they had been captured. Had she never befriended Mako and Bolin, Amon would probably not have targeted them already. Without her, they were just some ordinary benders in the street. But with her by their sides, they were an undeniable threat to Amon and his quest for power and domination.

It also bothered her that she knew nothing about Amon's plans with her. Why was he saving her for last? And when _was_ 'last'? Was it tomorrow? A week from now? A month? She _hated_ not knowing.

A grim expression took over her face. If it was tomorrow, would her imprisonment end directly after the ceremony? Or would Amon keep her to toy with her, to break her down for his own entertainment and pleasure? He was _sick_. It would not surprise her if he chose to keep her even after she had lost her bending. Honestly, she did not even care anymore. Without her bending and her friends she was nothing. The meaning with her life would disappear along with her bending. It would take years for her to regain the will to live, and by then she had probably already been discarded, thrown out. A prey that neither ran nor winced in fear was not fun chasing or torturing.

Where were her spirit guides when she needed them? Tenzin had told her that she needed to meditate in order to strengthen her contact with the spirit world. She had spent _days_ meditating. No contact, not even a faint whisper from her predecessors. _Nothing_. Why were they not helping her? Even Aang, said to be one of the strongest Avatars through history, had not even given her a sign of support. The only thing that made her still believe she was a bender was Amon and his words. But he could not be trusted. What if her bending had already been stolen?

No, it made no sense. She was still a bender. She saw no logic in Amon tricking her about this. And the daily chi-blocking process could impossibly be fake.

But unless the Avatar spirits helped her out, she would lose her abilities eventually.

A knock on the door interrupted Korra in her trail of thoughts. She knew what was happening, and she kept silent as the guard entered her cell with a tray in his hands. She praised herself lucky that she had dressed herself earlier in the morning. No matter how little dignity she had left, it was worth protecting.

The tray with her breakfast was placed on the far end of her bed. Without any words, the guard left the cell and locked the door. A faint chatter from the two men passing outside in the hallway, then silence again.

Korra threw a glance at her breakfast. A piece of bread, a small bowl of plain rice, an apple, and a cup of tea. The tea was what she savoured the most. Feeling the warmth of the cup between her hands, and the warmth in her body as she drank, was amazing.

She was not really hungry, she realized as she started to eat the rice. Her thoughts had made her feel uncomfortable. So she drank the tea and ate the rice slowly. The apple was hidden beneath her blankets for later, or in case Amon decided to have her starved again. She did not trust him. If it pleased him to see the Avatar starve, who was there to talk him out of it again? She was fairly certain that allowing her to finally receive food was not his idea in the first place, and whoever had convinced him to feed her was not among his favourite employees at the moment.

The guard from before soon returned to pick up the tray. Like the day before, the piece of fruit was missing, no remnants of it whatsoever. It seemed that the girl was collecting them. He should probably point out to her that such weird behaviour was not preferred, he realized, but something inside of him did not really care. He was merely bringing her food, not educating her. Domesticating the beast was Amon's job entirely.

Just as the guard was about to leave, an idea hit Korra. Since the guards seemingly did not care that she hid the apples she was served, she would use them for something creative. They provided a wonderful snack in between meals, but they could also be used as weapons, especially when thrown hard enough. With her strength and precision, one apple to the face or the back of the head would knock a grown-up out in an instant. She had two small, firm apples under her blankets. At midday she would receive her third. One for the guard that served her, one for the guard sitting just outside her cell, and one for whoever dared to chase her. Although a bit too creative, an escape plan was an escape plan. She would just have to wait about five hours until the next meal was served. It was perfect.

The guard never saw Korra's sudden sly smile as he left, the door locked behind him.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

"Hey, Asami," whispered Bolin and caught the girl's attention. She had barely been sleeping. She sat up and looked at the Earth bender with a groggy expression. Behind her, Mako shifted in his cell, sitting up.

"Listen," Bolin continued and nodded toward the door opening leading out to the hallways. "Something is going on out there."

Asami listened for a while but could not really catch whatever Bolin was hearing, until a sudden growl echoed through the hallway. Then the sound of fighting. And bending.

"What is happening?" Mako asked and managed to get upon feet. Bolin shrugged, his eyes and ears occupied by the activity out in the hallways. Equalists were running back and forth, people yelling, things breaking, walls crumbling.

"Maybe a police raid," Asami spoke, not sure if she should start hoping to be rescued or not. If they were the police, and they were sent out by Tarrlok, freedom seemed far away already. Tarrlok would do anything to have the Avatar and her friends locked away. Although he did not actually have the Avatar, neutralizing her friends would still strengthen his position.

More Equalists ran toward the intruders, their electrified weapons ready to strike and defend. The three captives witnessed as several Equalists were knocked back, some of them sent flying against the walls with throated groans.

Then a face came into view through the door frame. Smiles erupted on their faces. The woman looked their way, her sharp cheekbones and her facial scars showing on her face.

"Tenzin!" she called. "They are here." With a few movements, she tore the doors of the cells off.

"Come on," she said and disappeared. Still with their hands bound, the three hurried after Lin. The hallways were filled with unconscious Equalists who they had to avoid as they darted after the Police Chief. Behind them, Tenzin showed up and started to cut open their bindings.

"Amon?" Mako asked and stretched his back awkwardly. Lying down so many hours had made his body stiff and sore.

"He is not here," Tenzin replied from behind. "Have you seen him?"

"He was here yesterday. Maybe he managed to escape in time," Asami spoke. Lin muttered a few curses.

"So damn close," the Metal bender hissed. "At least we have nearly twenty of his men. I am sure at least one of them will tell me where to find Amon." Asami shot Lin a confused look.

"Then why are we leaving them here?" she asked the older woman. They skidded to a halt as they reached a long, narrow stairway which Asami remembered from the night they had been captured.

"I brought some colleagues," the woman said with a smug grin and started to climb the stairs. When the gang entered the abandoned warehouse, they saw what Lin had meant. More than a dozen of policemen were waiting for their boss to return.

"There are about twenty down there. Make sure to keep them in separate cells back at the headquarters," Lin instructed her men who quickly descended the stairs and started to carry out the many unconscious Equalists. They were all stripped for weapons and masks and then handcuffed. Then they were carried outside. Asami recognized the motor buzz as from one of the prisoner transporting vans her father had developed for the local police forced back in time. It was great to see that they were still being used.

"What do we know about Korra's whereabouts so far?" Tenzin asked as he approached the teenagers. They looked at each other with a shrug.

"Nothing, only that Korra is kept in another base," Mako spoke. "But you already know this." Tenzin stroked his beard for a moment, his eyes clouded with thoughts.

"I see," he then mumbled with a frown. "We will have to continue our search for her again tomorrow. The three of you will be brought back to Air Temple Island where Pema will take care of you. Lin and I still have some work to do here."

"Of course," Asami said with a nod. "Then let us go, boys. I do not want to spend one more minute in this place." Mako and Bolin nodded in agreement and followed the girl outside where they were soon picked up by a policeman.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

"Amon, sir," said the Lieutenant the very moment he entered Amon's office. Closing the book he had been reading, Amon stood up by the sight of his second-in-command.

"Lieutenant," he greeted.

"Base Four has been raided by the police," the Lieutenant continued, a grim look on his face. "They managed to capture eighteen of our men." Amon's golden eyes narrowed behind his mask.

"And the captives?" Amon asked with as much self-control he could muster in this situation. It was not much, but at least enough to keep him from slamming his hand into something in pure rage.

"Presumably rescued," the Lieutenant answered, knowing just how Amon was feeling. For some reason, he praised himself lucky that it had not been the escape of the Avatar which he had to report. He could barely imagine how the Equalist Leader would react to such news. Luckily, the Avatar was in her cell, sleeping. He had checked up on her moments ago.

"I see," Amon said and sat down again. "We will have to abandon base Four for good. The location has been discovered. It is useless now."

"Of course," the Lieutenant replied. "What about the contents of your office? Is there anything that could reveal our other locations?" Amon frowned behind his mask.

"I am afraid there is," he sighed. "Most of the documents are fake, though. I keep the real documents hidden in a secret chamber beneath the room. If Chief Lin Beifong uses her abilities, she will most likely find it, however." Amon rose to feet once again.

"What do we do? Shall we just wait and see if they find it?" the Lieutenant asked, unsure of how to handle the situation. This was their first real base discovered by the police.

"No. As far as I recall, there are only documents which lead to this location. There is nothing that reveals that the Avatar is kept here, however, but I doubt this will stop them from checking." Amon's voice was stern and still with a clear tone of anger. This event was highly unexpected even by him. The Lieutenant nodded in agreement.

"So we abandon this place too?" the Lieutenant asked with a shrug. Amon had found a bag in the meantime and had started to collect scrolls and documents.

"Yes. I want no more such surprises," Amon spoke with a sneer. "We will have someone check up on this place daily to see if the police find it. If the place turns out to be safe for now, we might come back. But not before we are completely sure it is safe."

"But what if one of our men reveals information about our locations during an interrogation?" the Lieutenant asked once again. He was more worried about their captured troops rather than a hidden chamber in the lost base. After all, one could easily say too much and reveal everything.

"They will tell nothing," Amon told him reassuringly. His calmed voice told him that he was sure of this. The Lieutenant nodded.

"Very well," he spoke. "I will call our men together and make sure we bring everything with us. Shall I prepare the transport as well, sir?"

"Please do," Amon said. The Lieutenant left the office right away.

It took mere minutes for Amon to finish packing all his papers and documents. Throwing a final glance at his favourite office, he closed the door and proceeded down the hallway toward the Avatar's cell.

The door guard stood up immediately as he realized that something was wrong.

"Sir," he greeted as Amon stopped in front of him. Amon dropped the bag of documents by the guard's feet.

"We are abandoning this place. Please take my bag outside to the awaiting vehicles," Amon instructed the man who seemed unable to comprehend the order at first. Then he nodded, shouldered the bag and ran down the hallway to the door at the end.

Amon unlocked the door to Korra's cell and entered without any warning. The girl gasped in surprise as she was ripped from sleep and opened her eyes just to stare directly into the familiar porcelain mask.

"Wha-" she tried to say but was cut off by Amon's hand which expertly grabbed a hold of her shoulder and pressed the certain nerve point that made Korra fall unconsciously to the ground. Ignoring the stares of the passing Equalists, Amon swung the Avatar over his shoulder and carried her outside.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

His smell was the very first thing that came into her mind when she woke up by the steady rocking of the floor.

_Wait_, she told herself. _I am in a vehicle. The buzzing beneath me must definitely be an engine._

Korra tried to sit up but had to give up instantly. First of all, it seemed that she had been tied up completely, but she was not sure. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was blindfolded and that her head was throbbing from a painful headache. And that Amon was near. She could not ignore his odour that seemed to linger to her clothes and the room itself.

For a moment, his scent seemed to become stronger. Then, by the sudden skin contact that followed, Korra winced and tried to move away. But the hand was stronger. She was grabbed by her chin, her face moved in the direction of the owner of the hand. His scent became even stronger now, and she was sure it was his hot breath she could feel on her face. Her heart started to race in her chest, and she sneered in disgust because of her unwilling reaction.

"Relax, Avatar," said Amon's well-known, deep voice. "We are moving. I need you to remain calm or else I will have to force you into silence again."

_What a threat_, Korra thought in sarcasm. _There is not really much I could do if I wanted to, anyway_.

Deciding that she would rather remain completely silent than conversing with her captor, she yanked her chin from his grip and lay down with her back to him.

Although he could not read her expression in the dark, he knew that she was hating him more than ever and wished no physical or verbal contact with him whatsoever. The Lieutenant had told him about her breakdown just before they left the base. He had figured out the rest. She was slowly starting to lose her mind after their little... _incident_. The thought pleased him. His plan was working.

"There has been a change of plans," Amon spoke again. "Where we are headed, there are no cells. You will be living in my private quarters until we find a more suited solution." His voice did not sound regretful at all. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to remain close to her.

Korra was frowning deeply, her mouth twitching. She wanted to say something, to retort, to show disapproval. But she could not seem to form the right thing to say. So again, she kept silent.

"You should enjoy it while it lasts. There will be a bathroom and a bed for you to use. But only until we find a solution; then it is back to living in chains."

Korra snorted.

"I would rather live in a cell for the rest of my life than sharing a room with you for a week," the girl finally hissed. Her defiance brought an amused smirk on Amon's lips. It was much more fun when she put up a fight. He liked the beast inside of her.

"Oh, you will be moving back into a cell soon enough, trust me," Amon laughed evilly. Korra ignored him.

_Well, as long he does not try and kill me by starvation again, I do not care how poorly I live_, she thought bitterly. _This will not last forever, anyway._

The rest of the way was travelled in silence. The only things Korra could hear were the buzzing of the engine and the road beneath them crackling under the weight of the vehicle. The sounds of life and activity from a nearby city seemed nonexistent. They were most likely far away from Republic City by now.

Korra was tempted to ask where they were going, and why, but she realized that it had been pointless to tie her up and blindfold her if Amon would just reveal their new location anyway. There was no point in asking. He would not tell her anything she did not already know.

After some time, Korra managed to forget her questions and the constant annoyance nagging in the back of her mind because of her badly selected company, and she was just about to fall asleep when the vehicle stopped.

The sound of Amon's boots moving across the floor caught her attention immediately. The man knelt before her, his golden eyes observing her for a moment, knowing that she could not see him.

"We have arrived," he told her. "You will be escorted inside. I have some things to attend to. And you better behave without my presence, too." Korra remained silent.

Standing up, Amon opened the doors at the back of the car and let fresh air inside. The smell of saltwater tickled Korra's nostrils, and she recognized the sound of boots being dragged through sand. They were at the coast somewhere far from the city. This helped her very little, however, because there were miles upon miles of coast outside the city. She still had no chance of figuring out her exact location.

"We have arrived just in time, sir," said an unfamiliar voice.

"Very well," Amon said and left the vehicle. "Have someone bring the Avatar to my private chambers. Do not release her just jet, however."

"Of course," replied the man with a quick nod. Korra was swung over a broad shoulder and carried inside their new location.

No words were exchanged between the man carrying her and the many people they passed. Without the ability to see or move, all she could do was listening to her surroundings. Also this place was of a peculiar construction with many narrow hallways, it seemed. The way the many footsteps around them echoed sounded just like the location they had just fled. The only difference she could pinpoint was the size of the building. The amount of hallways and stairways drew a labyrinth in her inner map.

Soon, the journey came to an end. She recognized the sound of a door being opened, and she was led into a room. The first thing she noticed was the temperature. It was slightly warmer in here. It was comfortable, if she just ignored the fact that it was Amon's private quarters. Up here, the sound of people rushing back and forth in the hallways was muffled. Again, if she ignored the owner of this very room, she actually liked how private and remote it seemed.

As she was put down on to the bed, an unpleasant thought hit her. Maybe the undeniable feeling of privacy here would just make it even more attractive for Amon to...

No, she would not think of it. What had happened was past now. It was only once. It would not happen again. She would not let him.

"Do not move," the man ordered. "Amon will be here in a moment." Leaving Korra to herself, the man left the room and locked the door behind him. Korra sighed. Even when she was utterly helpless and tied up like a ham left to air-dry, they still locked the doors.

_As if I could do __**anything**__ in this state_, her mind sneered.

Sighing, she tried to relax a little. She could at least try to enjoy her few minutes alone. When Amon would return, a new chapter of her life would begin. One filled with dread, displeasure, and fear. And she was not excited _at all_.

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_Thank you for reading! I hope you all liked this chapter._

_Please leave a Review and tell me what you think! ^^_

_Love, MAL._


	9. Decisions

_I apologize with all my heart for the sudden lack of updates. Sometimes, it happens that I lose interest in a story for some time (for most of my stories, these periods can take years), but I found that I just had to force myself to write something to pick up the joy again. And I really did enjoy this chapter, especially the ending, where you will find some Korra action! Yup, the girl still has some spark left in her ;)_

_Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 9: Decisions**

Having just had her first real meal in days, Asami decided to call it a day and go to sleep. Although she had spent most of her imprisonment sleeping – or at least trying to – the whole thing had fatigued her mind as well as her body. A good night's rest in a real bed would do her good. Tomorrow they would continue their search for Korra. She needed the energy.

Asami slipped in beneath the blanket with a contented sigh. A real bed was a luxury she had taken for granted, she realized. There were a lot of things which she had taken for granted. Bed, food, shelter, toilet; the necessities which she had always been provided by her family. Never had she devoted them a thought of gratefulness.

Closing her eyes, she smiled wryly. Being captive, even for a few days, had really helped her put some things in perspective.

Her thoughts wandered to Korra. She dared not even imagine what the Avatar was going through, or how badly she was being treated. The Avatar was the icon for everything which the Equalists despised. They were probably taking it out on her without holding back. Asami was certain that Korra was hurt in more than one way. Not to mention the fact that she had been under Amon's custody for a week now. So much could have happened to her already.

By the thought of Amon, Asami frowned, feeling a mixture of sadness, disgust, and anger.

_I still cannot believe he asked me to join the Equalists_, the girl thought. The fact that Amon had tried to make her turn her back to her friends angered her. But what did Amon know about friendship anyway? He was probably a lone creature, corrupted by hate and sadness, unable to feel anything but hate – or nothing – towards others. In a way, she pitied him. If it was true that he had lost his family to raging benders, it was truly sad for him. She knew how it felt like. The only difference was that she had been lucky to keep her father by her side – until recently, that is. It was so easy to become bitter, to become corrupted and hateful. And lonesome. Had it not been for her father, and now her friends, she might even have become somewhat like Amon.

It frightened her. Knowing that she and Amon had something like that in common made her feel uneasy. They were two entirely different persons, but even so she could not help but feel some kind of connection to the man.

Frowning, she brushed away the thought just in time for a knock on the door.

"Asami?" she heard Mako whisper through the door. "Are you sleeping?"

She wanted to be alone. Going early to bed had been an excuse for some alone-time. She needed to think. She was not sure about what exactly, but it was clear that she needed to think. To consider.

"Almost," she replied in a low voice, unsure of Mako's intentions. There was a moment of silence before Mako spoke again.

"Okay. I just wanted to tell you that you do not have to worry. Something inside me is telling me that we will find Korra tomorrow. Sleep tight and gather your strength." Then she heard his faint footsteps as he continued down the hallway.

It was clear that Mako was still worried, but their rescue had revived hope in everybody, except for Asami. She could not help but feel that they were approaching this wrongly. But what else could they do? Only the Equalists knew for sure where the Avatar was being held capture.

Green eyes widened in realization.

_Of course!_ she thought. _This is what I must do. I know it is a huge risk, and the boys will be infuriated when they find out. But this might be the only way if we should have any chance of rescuing her in time, even though it means sacrificing trust and friendship._

Asami stood up and got dressed silently, leaving a note on her bed before she slipped out through the window and ran into the night.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

When the lock clicked and the door opened, Korra realized that she had been sleeping.

Recognizing the person's scent, she tensed. No matter what Amon had been doing after their arrival, he was now done.

"I hope you were not too uncomfortable while waiting," Amon spoke with his deep, smooth voice dripping with irony. Of course he did not care. Formalities were formalities, shallow and false. Korra snorted angrily.

"I take that as an agreement," Amon added coolly. The rustling of fabric told Korra that he was now undressing. That uncomfortableness from before returned with such strength that she felt nauseous for a moment. Was she wrong about him? Were his intentions sexual after all?

Her heart stopped as she felt his weight tip the bed beside her. She gulped without realizing. His hands started to move over her form, loosening the ropes that kept her body paralyzed. Everything was removed except for the bindings at her wrist. Then, much to her surprise, she felt as his fingers jabbed her back on those exact spots where she had bruises from the many series of chi-blocking stabs she had received during the week. Tightening her jaw in restraint, she kept silent and let the man extend her inability to bend. After all, this was better than losing her bending permanently. She preferred it being temporary, although painful.

When her blindfold was removed afterward, Korra started to wonder what exactly Amon had in mind. One thing she knew was that she wished not to look him in the eyes. In this very situation with them sharing a room, and right now even sharing bed, she tried to avoid inspiring him to do anything inappropriate.

But instead of throwing himself over her, Amon stood up.

"You need a shower," he then spoke. "If you are to live her, I want you to be clean." Those words made Korra look at him as she sat up on the bed. It seemed that he had not undressed entirely as she had thought; on a hook on the wall hung his jacket, and he had removed his shoes as well, she noticed.

"Why are my hands still tied, then?" she asked, her voice a bit hoarse from the many hours of not speaking. The moment he answered, the very same idea popped into her mind.

"I will be bathing you to make sure you will not try anything stupid." Korra frowned.

"No. You will not be bathing me," the Avatar replied sternly and had to keep herself from shuddering by the mere thought of such intimacy. She swore she heard an amused huff from behind the mask.

"You have nothing to hide from me. I have seen everything already," answered said mask with a smirk. _Of course_ he had to remind her. Shame welled up in her and shone red on her face. She looked away with a sneer.

"Either I bathe alone, or I do not bathe at all. You are free to choose for me." The way she said it gave away that this was a matter she would not give up on. For a short moment, Amon wondered if it was possible to force someone to shower without drowning them. Then he decided that he did not have the time for this.

"All right. See it as a test of your trustworthiness. But mark my words; if I get any reason to believe that you are making trouble, I will not hesitate in entering. Are we clear?" Korra was surprised to find Amon complying to her demands. Nodding, she stood up.

"You have ten minutes," Amon instructed monotonously as he unbound the Avatar's wrists. "I will get you some clean clothes." The way his voice almost buzzed in her ear, and the way she could feel his hot breath on her neck as he spoke, sent a shiver down her spine. She ignored it.

It was a strange situation, really, but Korra savoured the fact that, for once, she had it her way. Without hesitation, she went to the small bathroom connected to Amon's room and closed the door. She wanted to lock it, but, much to her dismay, she noticed that there was no lock at all. Sighing, she started to undress. If she knew Amon well enough, he would protest if she had been able to lock the door, anyway. Less time arguing meant more time showering, and she needed it.

All while Korra fought to heat the water, Amon had a struggle of his own.

At first, he had thought having the girl living with him would not trigger anything in him, but he found her proximity to be somewhat uncomfortable. Not that he was afraid of her in any way – quite the opposite – but her very presence reminded him of that day when he had lost control. He had tried to justify his actions until now, claiming it had been a pure lesson of behaviour and a demonstration of power, no emotions or attraction involved. But something had changed in both of them. He did not like it.

He could not help but feel disgusted with himself. Alright, he was a man with needs, and with a life like his, these needs were rarely satisfied. It felt good to have this longing out of his system for some time, but unlike other times, his methods had merely evoked a new kind of lust. Not for sex in general, but for _her_. The Avatar. Had it been any other woman, it would have been a good thing, a development. It could even turn his life for the better having emotional support, having someone to cure his loneliness. But no, he absolutely had to become attracted to_ the Avatar_, of all people. And good spirits, he hated himself for it; hated that he had let his guard down and allowed himself to become involved with someone he should never have touched in such way in the first place.

He had to take care. If it evolved into something more, it could become a weakness to him. It would destroy his plans.

Trying to distract himself from this strange feeling of disgust and anger, he went to the small table by the couch and picked up the bunch of clothes he had ordered specially for the girl. The advantage of staying in base seven was that there was everything one could possibly need, and female clothes in the Avatar's size was no problem to find at all. Many of the female recruits were muscular like she was. He had only had to ask the Lieutenant to send word to the person responsible for the uniform stock.

When Amon placed the clothes on the stool by the door, he swore he heard the Avatar sigh in the shower. An image of her naked, sweaty body against his flashed before his inner eye for a moment. He felt the effects on his body immediately. Cursing, he withdrew to the couch. He could not allow himself to become affected this easily.

Much to his dismay, the image of the girl brought forth memories as well. Everything came back to him; her moans, those soft but firm breasts, that moment of weakness when she arched her hips against his, the way her eyes had almost rolled back in her skull in pleasure.

The thought that he could just go in there and do whatever he wanted really tested his self-control. She was so close, naked and ready for whatever he wanted to do with her. She was his to command, to control and take advantage of. To touch, caress.

He imagined her eyes, looking up at him pleadingly, begging for his touch, a stroke, perhaps a kiss. A release. Those teal eyes, clouded with lust as he took her, made her his.

"Damn it," he almost hissed as he noticed how much the tight bulge in his pants had just grown. This was no good. He did not have the time to do what was necessary to himself, let alone repressing the sign of arousal. He needed to think of something else. The Avatar would soon have finished her bath. He could not let her see him like this, weak and out of control. Most of all, he could not let her see what power _she_ had over _him_. It should be the other way around.

All he could do was hiding his visible eagerness. He needed to change clothes, anyway. So he rummaged through his dresser and found a set of his usual ceremonial robes. His dark grey tunic was perfect. The cloth reaching down to his thighs hid his crotch completely. Nobody would suspect a thing.

Quickly, he started to undress.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Korra fought hard to turn off the water and leave the shower cabin willingly. She could not help but feel that she had every right to take her time after everything she had been through. This was the least Amon could give her to make up for his usual lack of humanity towards her. However, the fear of being interrupted was even greater. There was no moral protection for her; if Amon wanted something, he took it by force. And there was no longer a line to cross. He had erased it by crossing it several times, and she feared he would do it again.

Quickly, she wrapped herself in towels, checking the room before stepping out to greet herself in the fogged mirror. If she had received any bruises on her face during her imprisonment, they were all gone now. However, when she turned her back to the mirror, she could count eleven bluish purple marks on her back. Bruises from her nearly daily 'treatment'. Around the bruises her skin was tinted red, giving away that they had been jabbed recently.

She stared at herself for some time, noticing how tired she looked, before she remembered that she had to hurry. A frown creased her brow when she realized that she had not brought the clean clothes with her. Sighing, she considered the possibilities. She could dress herself in the dirty clothes, but that would ruin the whole idea of her taking a bath, and she knew Amon would force her to change clothes immediately anyway. Or she could grab the clean clothes quickly and return to the bathroom before Amon had a chance to get any funny ideas.

In reality, she did not have a choice. She would have to change clothes anyway.

Making sure the towels were fastened around her body, she turned the door handle as silently she could and popped her head outside to look for the damned clothes.

The sight that met her eyes, however, was highly unexpected. A few metres from her stood Amon, his naked back turned to her. He was only wearing pants and that provocative porcelain mask of his. Korra froze in her quest and could not help but stare, eyes wide and jaw hanging in complete disbelief. He was a firm and quite muscular man, she already knew, but she had never imagined the many scars on his back. Long, thin lash marks broke his smooth skin from the base of his neck and all the way down to the waistband. Now that he did not wear a hood, she could also see his dark brown hair, the locks approximately the same length as her fingers. From this angle she could even recognize his sideburns which followed his broad and angular jaw.

Then, out of the blue, Amon turned around. Although she could not see his face, she could sense that he tensed. He was just as surprised as she, it seemed. Without a word, he turned away from her again and pulled on a shirt.

"I believe you are in a hurry," he told her with an icy voice that reeked of danger. Instantly, Korra was overwhelmed by emotion. Shame, discomfort, shock, and worst of all – pity. And then there was something which she could not quite identify.

Without a word, she grabbed her conveniently placed clothes and slipped back inside the bathroom. Listening for a moment to make sure Amon was not following her, Korra sighed and relaxed a little.

_I cannot believe it. What just happened was so... weird. So utterly unexpected. I feel as if I just discovered a secret_, the girl mused inwardly as she got dressed. _Maybe it **is** a secret. By the way he reacted, it seems that I was not supposed to see him like that. Is he ashamed of the scars?_

Korra dried her hair off in the towel and combed it with her fingers, seeing as there was no hairbrush. It would leave several knots when dried, but she did not care. She would manage. Deciding that she did not want to wear her usual hair accessories, she tied her hair in a simple ponytail and slipped the accessories into a pocket in her pants. They were a gift from her parents, and now the only remnants of them she had. She would not just lay them somewhere where Amon would find them. If it would hurt her losing them, he would most likely destroy them to make her suffer.

Korra threw a final glance into the mirror and decided that this was as good as it got.

All of a sudden, the door opened behind her, revealing a smirking mask and a pair of golden eyes behind it staring intensely at her through the mirror. Korra caught her breath to remain calm.

"Time to leave," Amon said coolly as if nothing had happened mere moments ago. Korra broke their eye contact and turned around, leaving the bathroom without facing the man, whose gaze followed her silently as she went. Why was it so embarrassing? For spirits' sake, she had been _raped_ by this man, and _enjoyed_ it, and yet only this incident gave her a bad taste in her mouth.

Since the day she had been captured, everything had been so _illogical_. The was she responded to certain things had surprised her, and she came to dislike herself even more for every passing day. A slight sneer found its way onto her face for a short moment, then she stopped in her tracks.

"Where are we going?" she asked finally, her voice a bit lower than she had intended. Amon walked up behind her and grabbed one of her wrists, his breath stroking her ear as he spoke.

"We are going to eat," the man said in a voice that seemed so intense that it sent a shiver up her spine. "As long you are living in my area, you will be eating with me."

Korra already hated the idea. Knowing that she had no say in this matter whatsoever, she kept silent. She knew how it would turn out if she refused to eat at all, so this was no option anymore.

"I will have to make sure you do not try and escape, as well," the man added as he grabbed her other wrist and gathered them on her back. "Until I know I can trust you, I will take precautions whenever you are to leave this room." Korra's inner snorted.

_You will never be able to trust me. I will knife you down from behind at first given moment._ The thought of succeeding this was heartwarming. She would not let him know this, however, seeing as she might eliminate future chances of escape. If she could just fool him to believe that he could trust her...

"Alright," she spoke softly, waiting as her wrists were tied up just like many times before. Amon worked quickly, giving away that he had done this perhaps too many times by now. Then Korra followed the man as he unlocked the door and indicated that she should walk in front of him.

Once again, Korra was reminded of the noticeable lower temperatures out in the hallways, but she ignored it. She did not mind cold at all, seeing as she came from the South Pole, and that she had spent most of the week freezing in a concrete cell.

With a hand on her shoulder, she was led downstairs and then guided through the building. Soon they stopped before a double door behind which Korra heard voices. Many voices.

As the doors were opened, the Avatar's eyes widened in disbelief. Before her was an eating room filled with people – _Equalists_, to be precise. A quick count said almost seventy people aged from the mid-teens to older than a half century, all seated by one of the many tables around the room.

Amon noticed Korra's expression with a smug smile and pushed her inside gently. The wonderful smell of food hit her like a wave, and her stomach growled in response.

Then, just as strong, a wave of incredulous stares greeted her. People stopped eating, stopped talking. They just stared at her, disgust, fear, or something entirely else in their eyes.

"Welcome to the canteen," Amon said, amusement clear in his voice. Korra grumbled a curse and followed the man to a table, ignoring the many stares on her back and the hurtful words whispered around her. People clearly knew how the Avatar looked like, although she doubted even half of them had seen her in person before.

"You _monster_," she caught someone hissing at the table next to the one Amon indicated her to sit down at. Again, she ignored the words. This room was filled with people who hated her and her kind. Of course they would take it out on her, but she was used to it. Already back when she was younger and found out she was the Avatar, friends turned their backs to her in jealousy. Friends became enemies. From that day on, she knew that such words could not hurt her. Only a few had managed to hurt her with words only. One of them had just taken seat next to her and was now watching her with those cold, golden eyes of his.

"Lieutenant, will you keep an eye on the Avatar for a moment?" Amon asked, and Korra noticed the Lieutenant who was, in fact, sitting right across the table, a hard stare on her. He nodded silently, never letting his gaze fail. Amon then left the table.

The spiteful comments became worse the very moment Amon was too far away to hear them. Korra even felt as something small but hard was thrown at her, hitting her shoulder. It stung for a moment, but it was not nearly as painful as it would have to be to make her hurt. Like everything else, she ignored it.

When the whispers around her ceased shortly after, she figured that Amon was returning. Said man sat down and placed a bowl in front of her. For a moment she was surprised. She had thought that he would be eating as well, since he had told her they would be eating together from now on, but when she thought about it, it made sense that he did not want to reveal his face before her.

Amon filled a spoon with the hot stew and moved it to her lips. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him, her expression telling him that she refused to play this game. When she did not allow the spoon inside, Amon recognized the problem. He kept the spoon at her lips.

"You know the drill, Avatar. You will eat like this, or you will not eat at all." Yes, she knew the drill very well. Of course, she did not want to end up starving for half a week like before, but the thought of being fed like a baby before seventy Equalists was almost worse. As if it was not enough that they mocked her already...

On the other hand, she did not want to anger Amon, either. And if she were to earn his trust, she had to comply without making a fuss.

It was a question of defining herself. Amon was trying to change her, trying to domesticate her wild side. She was afraid of losing herself. She could not let him win.

In a movement that was so quick and sudden that she even impressed herself, Korra threw herself back over the bench. Just before her back collided with the floor, she kicked the spoon out of Amon's hand, sending it flying across the room. The few grumbles and shrieks that followed told her that someone had been receiver of her flying stew. A smirk tugged at her lips as her body smacked down against the floor.

Everybody was silent now, even Amon. Then the leader stood up without even looking at the girl.

"Jarrak, would you be so kind as to escort the Avatar to my room?" Amon's voice was shockingly calm compared to the situation. The man who had been sitting on the other side of Korra rose to feet with a nod.

"Of course, sir," Jarrak replied and swung Korra over his shoulder, carrying her out of the room. Korra watched people all along, savouring the fact that everybody was still like paralyzed by her trick.

Just before the doors closed behind them, she noticed Amon's gaze which was burning with silent anger. She knew she was in trouble. But she could not help but feel that it had all been worth it.

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_Thank you for reading!_

_Please tell me if there was something you liked or something you did not like so much :3_

_Love,_

_MAL_


	10. Betrayal I

_Another update, with a treat for you guys, just around the corner! (Oh, you will find out what I am talking about...~)_

_I hope you will all enjoy! ^^_

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**Chapter 10: Betrayal I**

Once again, Korra had been abandoned in Amon's room, casually thrown onto the bed, still tied up. Nobody ever bothered to untie her before leaving, so Korra had decided that this time she would untie herself before Amon would return. Once he returned, she would feel Hell, she was sure of it. Until then, she could at least make sure that she was able to defend herself properly when that time came.

Finding a sharp object was a much bigger challenge than she had anticipated. One would believe that a person such as the leader of the Equalists would have something hidden somewhere in case of emergency. Apparently not. She had yet to find anything useful.

When the turn came to Amon's dresser, Korra stopped with a crinkle on her nose. She refused to rummage through his underwear drawer with her bare face. On the other hand, such places were often used for storing secret things because nobody bothered to look there.

Korra concluded that it would be the last place she looked. She still needed to look in the bathroom. Maybe she was lucky.

The bathroom was still a bit steamy after her shower, she noticed indifferently as she pushed the door open with her shoulder. Once again, she caught herself in the mirror, and she frowned. She really did look better with those hair pieces from her parents.

Then a realization hit her.

_Of course!_ her mind sang. _Mom told me that the back piece contains a weapon for emergency situations. How come I did not remember that a week ago? It could have helped me greatly!_

Reaching out for her pocket, she cursed under her breath. Her hands were fastened together too tightly. She could not reach her pockets.

"Okay, time to be inventive," she told herself. At first, she tried to jump, which did not help. Then she lay down and tried to let the hair pieces fall out by rolling around. No success there either.

Standing up, she bit her lip. She could only see one option left, but it was so stupid that she was not sure it was even worth it. At least not if she was discovered in action.

On the other hand, if she spent less time considering and more time acting, the risk of being discovered was smaller. She would just finish it quickly.

Resting her back on the edge of the bed, she wriggled and tugged with her feet until her pants came off. Bending over, she caught some of the fabric between her teeth and lifted the pants into the air upside-down, shaking it lightly – and indeed, her hair accessories fell out on the floor.

Her happiness did only last a brief moment, however, because she immediately realized that the back piece was missing. Shaking the pants furthermore did not help. It was gone.

_No, it cannot be!_ her mind cried. _It has to be here somewhere_.

She let go of the pants and dropped to her knees, poking the empty pocket with her nose. Nothing. She did not know whether it was the situation itself or merely the fact that she had lost one of her most precious belongings, but tears welled up in her eyes.

As if the situation could not get any worse, Korra listened as the door was opened. She froze, feeling too embarrassed to meet the eyes of the person. She knew very well who it was; his scent had become unmistakable to her by now.

Instead of just standing there gaping at the girl in her weird situation, like most people would have done, Amon entered immediately and closed the door. For the second time that day, Korra had no idea of how to act or what to do. For once, she was glad that Amon was the one who took the lead.

"Are you looking for something?" he asked coolly, provocation clear in his voice. For some reason, Korra was glad that he understood her situation, but when she looked up at him, her eyes narrowed instantly, tears long forgotten. In his hand he held her missing hair piece, studying it casually.

"In fact, I am," Korra replied in a low hiss. Amon kept glancing at the hair piece for a short moment as if ignoring her words, and then he put it in his pocket.

"I hope you find it then," he answered, watching as Korra's frown deepened. How _dared_ he?

"Something entirely else," the man started and crouched before her, grabbing her jaw in a swift movement. "- is that I will have to punish you for that little _show_ of yours. Pray that I am in a good mood when I return." By these words, he rose to feet and left Korra in the room. She gulped, staring at the locked door in horror.

At first, she had no idea of where the man was going, until she remembered what day it was; Saturday, the day of the weekly purification ceremony. And then she remembered Mako, Bolin, and Asami, and those tears from before re-surfaced.

"Come back!" she cried several times, hoping with all her heart that he would turn around. She would plead him to leave her friends alone, no matter the cost. But although Amon heard her in the hallway, his stride never faltered. The smirk on his lips grew by the sound of the Avatar sobbing.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

The cold night breeze made her shudder, and Asami pulled her jacket tighter around her slender frame, cursing under her breath.

Finding the place was actually much easier than she had expected; none of the many posters or invitations around the city stated where exactly the ceremony would be held, but she took her time to watch the poor amount of activity in the streets and figured she would go the same way as most of the other people. It could not have been more obvious, just as long you knew what was going on. Had she not known that the ceremonies were always held at Saturdays at midnight, she would not have suspected a thing.

The majority of the people wore hoods or managed to hide their identities other ways. Asami wondered why. Supporting the Anti-Bender Campaign had become normal among the ordinary citizens – _too_ normal, Asami thought with a wry smile – so why were they hiding themselves? It was no longer a shame to support Amon openly. As it was now, there were more anti-Benders than Benders in Republic City. And by the rate of Amon's influence on the city, it would not be long before the anti-Benders made the majority of the citizens here. If it continued like this, she doubted that there would be more than twenty Benders in a year or so. And by that time, the campaign would have spread to other cities as well. This was why they had to find Korra in a hurry. And this was why Asami had chosen to betray her friends.

As she came closer to the secret place, people moved closer to each other, and finally they moved in line or in groups. Asami noticed how only a few spoke or chatted. The atmosphere made it seem like something forbidden, or a taboo. In some way, it amused her, seeing how many they were.

She was led through narrow passages and alleyways, until they reached a dead end. A door in the building at her right opened and let people inside, the doorkeeper watching people closely as they passed him. Asami started to feel nervous. What if she was recognized?

It really did not matter, she concluded. Whether or not she got through, she would end up before Amon sooner or later.

"Follow the hallway and turn to your right," the doorkeeper instructed people repeatedly, and much to Asami's surprise, she was let through the door without trouble. Did they know of Amon's offer? Or did he simply not know who she was?

With a contented smile, Asami followed the stream of people inside the enormous hall. It seemed that the ceremony had just started, because Amon stepped forward into the spotlight, his mask greeting people with a smirk. People greeted him back by clapping and cheering.

When Amon lifted his hands into the air, an immediate silence took over. The ceremony had begun.

"As many of you may know, we have recently been chased from several locations by the police. The week has been rough on us," Amon started, his deep voice almost mesmerizing in the silence as it echoed out through the hall. "But in these hard times, luck has also been on our side."

Amon opened his palm and flashed something. Despite her height, Asami could not see what it was. People around her gasped and started to whisper, and in desperation Asami tiptoed to see. Her eyes widened as she recognized the object in Amon's palm. It was that blue thing Korra always wore in her hair.

"That is right. We have finally captured the Avatar," Amon said, his voice proud and victorious. Asami felt a wave of disgust as she heard several among the audience shout "Kill her!" in unison. What disgusted her even more was Amon's following laughter. It was so _dark_ and full of evil intention.

"Have patience, my dear followers. The Avatar's time will come. I have plans for her," the leader continued.

All of a sudden, he was interrupted by one of his men, who whispered something in his ear. Amon removed the microphone for a moment to answer whatever he had just been told, and Asami could not help but feel nervous. What was it? She frowned. It could only be something about Korra, and she doubted it was good news for anyone.

People started whispering again, seemingly wondering the same as she.

"How interesting," Amon continued and caught the audience's attention once again. "It seems that we have a special guest among us tonight."

For a brief moment, Asami wondered who that could be, but when she felt two hands grabbing her shoulders roughly, she knew that the special guest was she. Without protests, Asami allowed herself to be dragged out of the room.

"Follow us," one of the goons commanded in a harsh tone, and Asami complied.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked calmly, knowing that she could not afford to rouse any scene with her current goal.

"You will find out," came the indifferent answer. Again, no matter where they led her, she would come to speak with Amon eventually. Asami kept silent and followed the men inside a small room which looked like an old and abandoned office. Here she was forced down upon a chair.

"Amon will join you after the ceremony," she was told. Asami sighed and relaxed in the chair, knowing that this would take some time.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Something did not feel quite right, Korra concluded while fighting to unfold the nail clippers she had discovered in one of the bathroom cabinets. Ever since Amon had managed to capture her friends, he had made sure to remind her of it to torture her feelings. But now, after having fled from their former location, he had not even hinted at their captivity or their tragic fates. Not even before leaving for the purification ceremony had he told her anything hurtful. It was as if they were no longer in his custody.

Had they escaped? She really hoped so. If this was the case, was their escape related to the reason for Amon and his men to abandon their former location? This was tricky. First of all, as far as she knew, her friends had not even been held capture in the same base as she had just been moved from. So why would Amon demand his troops to move location, seeing as her friends had not even found it yet? It did not make sense. Perhaps they had been on the trail?

She hated knowing absolutely nothing. It was all based upon assumptions and small clues.

Korra signed and started to cut at the rope tying her hands together, cutting a few tiny threads at a time, careful not to cut her own skin. This would take some time, she realized with a frown. But she had time enough. The weekly ceremonies usually took some time, she had been told by Chief Lin Beifong, who had questioned several Equalist suspects in an investigation once. Especially those with a lot of Benders to be purified on stage.

When finally the nail clippers had gnawed its way through most of the rope, Korra tugged at it a couple of times, and the rope snapped apart. With a smug smile, she flushed that damned rope away in the toilet, watching triumphantly as it was sucked into the drain.

The first thing she did was pulling on her pants and slipping her hair accessories back into a pocket. It was ironic how she had fought to get them out only to put them back inside, but her hands were free now, so she no longer needed the hair pieces. It still angered her that Amon had taken one of them, however. She hoped that he did not find the tiny knife hidden inside. It should serve as her trump card when the time came, and she would make sure that said time was near.

Finally able to use her hands, Korra went to the door and turned the handle only to find the door locked. Not that it surprised her, of course. On both sides of the door was a keyhole, and it seemed that the door was never left unlocked. Whipping out the tiny nail file on the nail clippers, she tried to force the curved tip into the lock and wriggle it open. It was not this simple, she realized. The nail file was far too broad to turn in the keyhole. Cursing, she returned to the bathroom in hope of finding something smaller. A hairpin, or perhaps a needle.

Rummaging through every single cabinet turned out to be a useless move. Much to her dismay, there was nothing smaller than a cotton stick in the entire room. Growling in exasperation, Korra let herself dump down on the black leather couch.

_If I just had my bending, then it had all been so easy_, she thought with a sigh. _And where are my spirit guides when I need them? They are a week too late already..._

Closing her eyes, Korra remembered the shocking sight from earlier. An image of Amon's scarred back flashed before her inner eye. That weird feeling of pity washed in over her again, but she brushed it away. She would feel no sympathy for this man whatsoever, no matter what had happened to him in the past. What he was doing to others – especially her – undoubtedly made him more of a monster rather than a victim.

Amon's true identity had gotten even harder to guess after the incident, although it seemed that some pieces of the puzzle fit together. First of all, he was a Blood Bender who despised benders. Korra knew from her lessons on the South Pole that Blood Bending was a specialization of Water Bending. According to logic, Amon had to be from a Water Bending Tribe. His skin had a slightly dark tint to it, but nowhere like Korra's. Perhaps his parents were from the North Pole and had moved to Republic City before Amon was born, thus making his skin more like that of the regular citizens of Republic City, but still with a hint of his ancestry.

Those whiplashes on his back had a story, too. But were they connected to the reason for Amon to hate benders? Had his parents tortured him with their bending? Connecting these two things was risky, seeing as they most likely did not have anything to do with each other. But Korra did not know anything about the man. She remembered his tales during those propaganda ceremonies. He claimed to be a victim of raging benders. Was it true? Korra had never believed him, especially not after finding out he was a bender as well, but those scars on his back told her that it might be true after all.

She did not know what to believe anymore. Seeing his face might help her recognize him or at least his roots, but that was impossible. He would never show his face to her willingly, and she doubted she could remove his mask without him knowing.

What if he was someone she knew already? He could be from the South Pole, too. Heck, he could even be from her clan, or her family. An uncle? The thought frightened her. No matter who he was, or where he came from, he had done unacceptable things to her. Was it personal hate? She knew that a lot of people had reacted badly to the news that she was the Avatar. For all she knew, Amon could be the father of one of her old friends who became jealous and turned their back to her. It could be revenge, or it could be something entirely different.

Feeling sleepiness taking over her, Korra went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She knew from the search that there was only one toothbrush, so she squeezed some toothpaste out on the tip of her finger and brushed like that. It felt so nice to be able to take care of herself again, she decided.

Next problem was where she was going to sleep, seeing as there was only one bed as well. It was a huge and luxurious bed which could easily accommodate several people at once, but the thought of sleeping next to Amon made her nauseous for more than one reason. No, she would sleep on the couch, she decided.

Having found an extra blanket in the tall wall cabinet earlier served her well. She would just use that one, and she would manage without a pillow.

Undressing into just a shirt and her panties, she turned off the lights and crept beneath the blanket. The leather felt cold against her skin, but this was better than sleeping with Amon by far.

Soon, Korra slipped into a dreamless sleep.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

"Asami. What a surprise," Amon spoke the very moment he entered the room, ripping Asami from her almost-slumber. "I would never have guessed that you would miss the Equalists this much already." It was clear that he was teasing her, although his voice was calm and collected.

Asami sat upright in the chair and watched as Amon took seat before her.

"Now, I suppose you are here to speak to me, hm?" the man continued and gestured for the two guards to leave the room. Once they were gone, the girl faced to the mask again.

"I have considered your offer. I want to join you," Asami told him, remaining calm as well. Amon let his fingertips rest against each other and nodded once.

"What has made you change your mind, my dear?" This was the detail she had been thinking most about. Whatever sounded reliable. She gave him a sad smile, her moss green eyes as innocent as she could make them seem.

"I have come to realize that you were right. All along I have been fighting for the wrong side," she told him, letting her gaze drop briefly once. "I belong with my father. And I want revenge for the death of my mother." Amon's thoughtful smile widened behind his mask.

"What about your friends?" he tested evilly, watching Asami closely. Her gaze not not falter.

"I will get new friends among the Equalists," she answered with a natural shrug. The amount of triumph Amon felt this very moment was nearly overwhelming. He had done it. He had turned the Avatar's friends against her – or at least one of them. The most dangerous of them.

"Alright. Mark my words, however; if I witness anything suspicious from you, you will meet great consequences. There is no way out of the Equalists other than death. You better not try and fool me." Asami stood up and bowed with a smile.

"I understand," she spoke.

"Good," Amon said finally and rose to feet. "Follow me. I will make sure you are brought to the base in which we train our new recruits."

Following the Equalist leader outside, Asami could not help but feel both victorious and a bit nervous. She was used to playing games, but never had she played a game this dangerous.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

When Korra awoke, all she could feel was heat. Beads of sweat graced her forehead and temples, and the blanket clung to her body. Unsure of why she was sweating this much, she kicked off said blanket and wiped off her face, sitting up to cool her back as well.

Then, all of a sudden, she was reminded that she was not alone. She caught the sound of faint breaths from the bed, knowing who it was. A strange feeling washed in over her. This was the very first time she had been this close to Amon without him being on guard.

At first, she had no idea of how to react, then an idea hit her. He still had her hair piece. She would take it back without him knowing. She would be completely soundless in her movements, and he would never suspect a thing.

Rising to feet, she took one careful step at a time, having only a faint ray of light from beneath the door to show her the way.

As she stopped only a metre from her captor, she realized that this might also be her only chance to escape. He had to be hiding the keys somewhere close to him. Under his pillow?

She neared him, breath bated in anxiousness. The perfect white porcelain from his mask, which he wore even in sleep, shone through the darkness, and a third idea struck her. This might also be her only chance to find out who Amon really was.

And then she stood there, three options to choose between: knowledge, freedom, or possession.

It was a mistake from Amon's side to leave her untied for the night – not that he necessarily knew that she had managed to rid herself of the ropes – but he could have checked, and she knew that once he realized his mistake, he would make sure to never make anything alike ever again.

Making her decision, she felt the floor for clothes. She refused to believe that he slept fully dressed. He had probably dropped his pants somewhere. If she was lucky, she would find the keys in a pocket – and if she was extremely lucky, she would retrieve her hair piece as well. Right now, freedom was more important than anything else, although knowing Amon's identity was a huge thing as well. But what did it matter if she would be kept as a prison rat for the rest of her life with nobody to tell, anyway?

Realizing that she would not find his pants on the floor on this side, she sneaked around the bed and felt the floor again. Still no pants. Maybe he was sleeping fully dressed after all, she mused.

_One place left_, she told herself with a wry smile. Without touching the bed at all, she leaned in over Amon's sleeping form, listening. Deep, slow breaths. He was sleeping, no doubt.

Counting to ten, she held her breath and reached out toward his pillow, feeling victory as her fingers stroked the smooth fabric without a response from the man. Pushing her fingers in beneath the pillow, she felt something hard, but she never managed to identify the object before Amon grabbed her wrist and swung her upon the bed with such speed that Korra barely had time to yelp in surprise.

"Playing dirty, huh?" Amon said lowly, no trace of sleep in his voice. Had he been awake after all?

Korra was so shocked that she could not muster any reply. With her breath caught in her lungs and her eyes wide in fear, she could only stare at the man, who had managed to move above her in that incredible movement. It felt as if her heart had stopped beating entirely.

"Well, now that you have offered your company by almost throwing yourself at me, I guess I will take advantage of the situation..."

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_Thank you for reading! :3_

_Well, I guess you guys can guess what will happen next. Yup, that's right; some juicy stuff! Stay tuned for more ;)_

_Love,_

_MAL._


	11. Betrayal II

_A quite short update. I thought you would all prefer a quick but short update rather than waiting one more day and then get a two more pages. At least, I know how badly I respond to such evil cliffhangers ;)_

_Please enjoy!_

_**Warning: Heavy sexual content!**_

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**Chapter 11: Betrayal II**

"Well, now that you have offered your company by almost throwing yourself at me, I guess I will take advantage of the situation," Amon spoke, his voice cool and intense, and Korra felt a shiver travel along her spine.

Biting her lip, the girl could only watch in silence as Amon let a hand caress the skin of her belly and slowly started to pull off her shirt. She winced by the unwanted skin contact and wished nothing more than to wriggle out of his grasp and escape, but her body was as frozen beneath the man.

When his hand cupped her breast, letting his rough skin glide over her silky smooth flesh, flicking his thumb across her hardened nipple several times to receive a reaction, she gathered herself.

"_Get off me_," she hissed and jammed a knee into the lower part of his abdomen, sending him off her, although only for a moment. She barely got off the bed before she was pulled back by a fist clenching around her hair. She shrieked in pain as she was forced to her knees and her arm was wrung behind her back with such force that she heard her shoulder crack sickly.

"Why are you resisting? You know you will enjoy it," Amon spoke through gritted teeth, his breath hot in her ear and the hard porcelain nose cold against her temple. Korra shuddered.

"You are wrong," she answered with as much might she could muster. "Now, let me go and we will forget about this." Amon chuckled evilly, tightening his grip on her hair.

"I believe you have forgotten about your punishment," he whispered, feeling as she tensed. "Besides, you have done nothing by proving yourself difficult the last couple of days. One would almost think that you _wanted_ to be punished." Korra snorted in disgust, unsuccessfully trying to yank herself out of Amon's strong grip. Her shoulder hurt, and she wondered what was wrong with it.

"Or perhaps I have to convince you?" he continued and pushed her down onto her back, pressing her sore shoulder against the mattress, receiving a hiss of discomfort.

Like the first time he had crossed the line entirely, he quickly paralyzed her arms by pressing down on certain nerve points. Korra sneered at him, cursing in her mind. He had won already. One thing was having her arms tied together, which still allowed her to do some things, but having her arms paralyzed entirely was a trump card. And he would not fall victim to her knee two times in a row, so there was no use trying. It might even anger him furthermore.

Continuing where he had left, Amon removed her shirt, now without any physical resistance from the girl whatsoever.

Looking down upon her naked chest – although he hardly could see anything but her curves in the dark – he was reminded of how much his body responded to her. Or perhaps it was the mere thought of her lying naked beneath him that turned him on so much.

Knowing that she could see just as little as he, Amon did something completely unexpected – he slid off his mask.

Korra witnessed as the white porcelain was removed from his face and placed on the night stand next to them, but she could not see anything except from the tip of his nose which shone vaguely against the stripe of light from the door. The lack of sight made her want to reach out and touch his face. She caught herself in the thought and frowned in disgust, happy that she had not even been able to reach out for him. She would _never_ touch him willingly.

But then again, she started doubting herself when Amon bent in over her and started to nibble at the skin of her throat and neck, biting, kissing. It sent a shiver through her system, which Amon noticed immediately. Her entire body got coated in goosebumps, even the skin on her soft breasts, and he could not resist pinching her nipple lightly in return.

Again, Korra's body responded in a way that made her disgusted with herself; she moaned. It was nothing more than a vague, deep-throated sound, but both of them caught it easily, and Amon loved it.

"I love the way your body responds to my touch," he murmured against her ear, nibbling at the lobe as well.

Feeling his patience run out faster than he had expected, he slipped a hand into her panties, touching those places he knew she liked. Especially that certain nerve-filled bud became centre of his attention. Although he could not see her expression, it was easy to tell that his touch aroused her.

A smirk tugged at his lips, and Korra was certain that she caught him doing so. It annoyed her that he could read her this easily. What annoyed her more, however, was the fact that she did not want him to stop. The tightness in her belly had already started building up. She knew where it led.

Bending down do kiss her breasts, Amon slipped two fingers inside the girl and felt as she tensed against him. He savoured her delicious reaction, feeling himself grow harder.

Teasing her sensitive skin with his tongue, he started to pump his fingers into her rhythmically, touching her inner walls different places to find those sensitive points which he knew she had. Instantly, Korra found it hard to breathe normally, filling her lungs in broken gasps. Amon never noticed how much his own body was affected by the situation; even he could not concentrate on breathing properly, being aroused to an almost unexplored level.

Slipping yet another finger inside the girl, Amon enjoyed her muffled sounds of pain, knowing that the first time he took her had not been enough to open her completely. This time he would make sure to do her thoroughly, destroying every sign of her virginity for good.

It did not take long for the pain to become pleasure.

Korra could not ignore the feeling of shame as she felt the edge of pleasure nearing. The thought of letting the man see her in such weak and dependent state went against her nature. She was a strong young woman who was able to take care of herself – but the very moment Amon touched her like this, her will and might melted like ice above flames. And she hated it, hated herself like never before.

The jolts of pleasure rolling through her body turned stronger, faster, and finally she reached the orgasmic peak. Crying out in ecstasy, she threw her head back into the blankets and let her body become engulfed in the amazing feeling moving through her like ripples in a pond.

Once again, Amon felt as his self-control crumbled just because of her. Letting his clothed erection press against her core, he leaned in over the girl, feeling her body convulse from his devious action. He brushed his lips over the shell of her ear feather-lightly.

"Enjoying it now?" he whispered, his smooth voice like velvet in her ear, his tone sending her mind to another world. "Do not worry, I am far from done yet; in fact, I will hold you down and watch as you come again and again, screaming my name. I will continue far past the point where you cannot handle any more – and even _then_ you will want me to continue, begging me to hurt you just a little bit more."

A strange mixture of fear and excitement washed over her.

Deciding that he had waited long enough, Amon slipped off all his clothes, listening carefully as Korra realized what he was doing and mewled excitedly. Grabbing his throbbing manhood, he stroked himself a few times before letting the tip rest at her entrance, gliding against her without entering. He was goading her, teasing. He wanted her to _beg_ him to fuck her.

"Do you want me?" he purred against her neck, letting the tip of his erection enter shortly, pulling away only to repeat a few times. _Yes_. Holy spirits, she wanted him so _badly_.

"N-no," came her answer. She would not let him win. Most of all, she could not let him know how weak she was right now. She had to resist him.

Unsatisfied with her answer, Amon grabbed her inner thighs roughly and plunged deeply into her, receiving a cry from the girl beneath him.

"Do not lie to me," he breathed, the tone of his voice threatening and controlled. Korra whimpered as he thrust into her twice before pulling out. He was provoking her. And it was working. Arching her hips against his, she signalized what she could not say. Amon did not fall for her silent invitation.

"Beg for it," he demanded with a smirk. Knowing that it was already too late to deny her desires, Korra smirked as well. There were other ways, she decided. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she forced him closer, pressing him back into her.

Surprised by her sudden action, Amon had to fight to suppress a moan from himself.

Overwhelmed by the feeling of victory, he decided that this was as good as it got. Having her fighting back was almost as good as having her begging. He loved the power he had over her. Although she had not pleaded him, she had still failed at resisting him. He was another step closer to breaking her.

He would take her, just like she wanted him to.

Starting to thrust into her, quickly finding a satisfying rhythm, he savoured the sound of her sharp, uncontrolled intakes of air and the throated moans whenever he would thrust harder. Testing her agility, he lifted her legs up to rest on his shoulders as he leaned in over her and pushed himself even deeper into her.

It was amazing how quickly the orgasm built itself up inside of him, he noticed. Rarely had he experienced anything alike. There was something entirely different and unique about the Avatar compared to all his previous one-night lovers. Never had he wanted anyone this much, and never had it felt so good to give in to his desires. Maybe it was the thought of it being forbidden that he liked, or the fact that he could make her struggle against her own morals and still lose.

As for Korra, the desires had unknown origin. Nothing she could think of justified her willingness. Perhaps it was because she had secretly been longing for a lover. Maybe it was because she sought someone to challenge her, seeing as she was unnaturally strong of nature and physics. No matter what reason, what Amon did to her satisfied some kind of need which she had not known of until know. And he did it skillfully. She wondered how a mere human being could cause such sensations in her. And no matter how much she hated herself for admitting it, she loved it.

Once again feeling as climax was mere thrusts away, she buckled her body against Amon's, her perfect breasts squeezing against his moist chest, exciting him even further. He knew what was happening to her. Focusing his thrusts, he hit a certain spot inside of her several times in a row, sending her whimpering over the edge. She clamped her teeth shut, her eyes rolling back and her hips rocking against his as she enjoyed her second wave of forbidden pleasure.

The way her inner muscles convulsed around him, tightening, almost sucking at him, made him grit his teeth and thrust like he had never done it before, and he was dragged over the edge of pleasure as well, panting heavily as he went.

This time, he did not pull out of her before it was too late. None of them realized.

Putting his mask back on, Amon let himself fall back on the bed, all while Korra could only stare into the dark and think about what they had just done, what _she_ had just done.

And then, there was an awkward and very unnerving silence. Korra felt like crying, but she refused to do so with Amon this close. Instead she stood up and returned to the couch, still unable to move her arms. She would have to wait until his damned paralysis wore off before she would even be able to dress herself.

Gracelessly creeping in under the blanket, she closed her eyes with a frown.

The last thing she registered before falling asleep was Amon's cocky remark:

"I told you that you would enjoy it."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

"Asami?" Mako called, knocking on the door for the third time. Still no answer.

Knowing that she never slept this heavily unless something was wrong, Mako allowed himself to enter. When he found an empty bed, he started to wonder if she had gone to the bathroom without anyone noticing that she was awake.

He was about to turn around when he saw a piece of paper on her bed. Scrunching his brow in wonder, he picked up the slip and read. It was a note, it seemed.

His eyes widened.

_I have made a decision which I cannot unmake by the time you find my note. This is my choice. Please do not come looking for me._

_Take care,_

_Asami._

Mako frowned deeply. This could not be right!?

With the note in his hand, he hurried to the kitchen where he knew the others would be. Pema had prepared breakfast for the team to enjoy before they resumed their search for Korra.

By the time Mako reached the kitchen, Tenzin rose to feet, having felt that something was wrong. He did not even have to ask; his expression asked Mako already.

"Asami has run away," he said, his voice failing all of a sudden. Unable to speak further, he reached Tenzin the note.

While reading, Tenzin nodded, his expression darkening. Then he folded the paper.

"One of Lin's undercover agents reported of this event earlier this morning. It seems that Asami was seen attending the Equalist ceremony last night," Tenzin spoke, his brow drooping for every spoken word. "She was discovered and dragged away. We do not know where to."

Pema and Bolin could only watch wide-eyed, both speechless from the bad news.

Mako sat down and had to suppress his anger to avoid breaking something. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.

"Should we follow her?" he then asked, looking at Tenzin who was once again studying the note. The handwriting was no doubt Asami's.

"As much as I hate to say this, we do not have the time. We cannot afford to postpone the search for Korra anymore. She is our first priority from now on. At the ceremony last night, Amon revealed that he indeed is the captor of the Avatar. We must find her as soon as possible."

Tenzin's words were carefully selected, and Mako knew he was right. Korra was still alive, but for how much longer none of them knew.

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_I hope you guys found this chapter worth waiting for! Once again, I apologize for the cliffhanger in the former chapter (nah, not really xD)._

_Love,_

_MAL._


	12. Beginning

_First of all, I want to **thank you all** for the wonderful support you give me. It really makes my day reading your lovely reviews. Please keep them coming, just as I will keep the chapters coming to you ^^_

_I hope you will enjoy this chapter._

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**Chapter 12: Beginning**

Because of her late arrival last night, Asami had been sleeping in a spare room next to the administration office. Amon had told her that new recruits lived together in small teams of four and that she would be shown her new room and introduced to her roommates by the end of the day. They still had to find an appropriate room for her.

She was woken early by a rapid knocking on the small wooden door leading to the small room. Dressing in her usual garments, she quickly got ready for the day.

When Asami entered the office, the woman behind the desk greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning," the woman spoke and tapped on the typewriter in front of her, the paper moving to the left as she wrote something down. "Please sit down." Asami took seat in front of the desk.

"What is your full name?" she asked. Asami wondered if she knew of her father – and her relation to the Avatar.

"Asami Sato," she said calmly. The woman nodded, seemingly tapping her name down onto the paper. Then she released the paper and reached it to the new girl. Asami eyed the paper silently.

"It is a blanket which you need to fill out," the woman instructed and handed Asami a pen. With a nod, Asami started to write down information about herself – everything from her personal data to her mental state and her clothes size. She took her time and made sure everything was correct. There was no use trying to fool the Equalists. She knew Amon could and most likely would speak to her father to make sure she had written true facts.

"Alright, Asami," the woman said as she quickly let her eyes glide over the sheet of information in her hand. "Please follow me."

Asami was led through the building and downstairs. The musty smell of cellar hit her nostrils the moment they had descended the stairs, and she grimaced.

"In the cellar we have our uniform and equipment stocks. Right now we are getting you a uniform and a few other things," the woman told her and turned to the left. Asami followed silently. They stopped before a desk behind which a scrawny man was seated. He looked up through his thick round glasses and greeted them with a smile, several teeth missing.

"Good morning, Jayak," the woman greeted said man, who stood up and bowed.

"Always a pleasure to see you, Emima," the man answered with a sheepish smile. The situation was almost comical, seeing as the scrawny man clearly liked Emima based on the way he acted and laughed as they were led into the stock room to get Asami her new uniform. But even so, Asami did not feel that there was any reason to smile or laugh.

Jayak's stride was confident as he read the paper with Asami's size details, knowing where everything was exactly. In the back of the room was a doorway leading them into a much smaller stock room.

"This is the women's clothing department," Emima explained when she noticed the wonder in Asami's face.

"The majority of the recruits are male, so we hardly order any female uniforms. We always make sure to have about one spare set in each size. As for the men, we need at least ten spare uniforms at all times," Jayak told casually as he moved around and gathered the many pieces of her uniform. When he had collected her entire uniform, he handed Asami the bunch of clothes and continued to the other side of the room.

"That is your outdoor uniform," he explained while rummaging through a shelf with some black clothes on. "You need your training outfit as well. For indoor training only, naturally." Another bunch of clothes was added to the one she was already carrying, and Asami suddenly found it difficult to see where she was going.

The scrawny man smiled proudly as he led Asami and Emima out.

"Regarding weapons, those will only be handed out whenever you need them. You are not allowed to carry weapons unless you are given one by your instructor," Emima added. "The remaining daily necessities you will find in your room."

"If there is anything wrong with your uniform, please do come tell me. And in case of broken equipment, we will make sure to repair it for you, but it will be subtracted from your monthly pay," Jayak grinned toothlessly. Asami nodded in agreement. The three stopped at the desk where Jayak took seat again.

"Thank you for your help," Emima said with a smile and gestured for Asami to follow her. "Come, Asami. I will show you to your room. I just remembered that we have an empty bed in room eighteen."

Before leaving, Asami bowed shortly for Jayak, whose grin widened.

"Good luck," he said just as she and Emima started climbing the stairs.

"Before I show you to your room, I must show you around. I will have to get back to work in a minute. We cannot have you getting lost. This place is like a labyrinth until you get to know it," Emima continued and started to walk a bit faster than before. Asami had to focus to not stumble over anything.

"First of all, this is our canteen," Emima introduced as they stopped before a rather large room filled with tables and benches. At the far end was a long counter behind which a door led to the kitchen. "Breakfast starts at seven in the morning, lunch at twelve, and dinner at six. Every meal lasts about half an hour. If you miss it, you will get no food. Simple as that."

"Unless you are lucky and there are leftovers," came a loud voice from the kitchen followed by a resounding laughter. Emima rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"That is Jarrad, our chef," she said and gestured for Asami to follow her. "He usually has a trick up his sleeve. And a piece of friendly advice; do not eat anything from the kitchen the first of April. You will regret it."

For the very first time in days, a faint smile tugged at Asami's lips, but only for a brief moment.

She was led through more hallways, turned several corners and had already forgotten the way when they stopped. Even without opening the doors, it was easy to hear voices and faint battle cries from the rooms.

"These are our training halls. Please notice that the doors are marked with one letter each. These letters indicate who may use the respective halls. You will be using hall A since you are new. As you become better, you will be promoted to other halls, in which the training is harder. Amon will explain this to you later." Pointing at two doors on the other side of the hallway, Emima smiled wickedly. "And these are the changing rooms. One for the men, one for the women. It would be very unwise to enter the wrong one."

Wondering about the consequences of doing so, Asami followed along as Emima started walking again.

"Oh, and you are allowed to use the changing room at any time. Sometimes, having four girls sharing one small bathroom can cause problems." Asami nodded, knowing that two girls sharing one bathroom could be a pain sometimes, too.

At one point, they passed stairs which led upstairs, and Emima stopped for a brief moment and turned around to face Asami, her eyes suddenly cold.

"Nobody is allowed to go upstairs. This is the place where our leaders have their offices and private quarters. Any recruit caught upstairs will face either great punishment or immediate exclusion. Luckily, we have yet not had anyone breaking this rule, and we would prefer to keep it this way." Asami nodded quickly, feeling almost threatened by the woman's stern words. Then Emima smiled, turned around, and continued forward.

Asami could not help but wonder why going upstairs was such a crime. Was it security reasons? Or did they keep something hidden up there?

The tour ended in a long hallway with doors on both sides. Reading the small signs on the doors, Asami figured that this were the recruits' rooms.

"As I said before, you will be living in room eighteen for now. A girl has recently moved out and left an empty bed," Emima spoke as they went through the hall, passing a lot of doors. Asami let her gaze wander over the many door signs which contained a room number and the names of the residents. As Jayak had told her, almost all of them were male.

Opening the door to room eighteen, Emima led Asami inside. On each side of the room was a bunk bed, four beds in total, three of which had clearly used recently. The upper bed on her left was empty with folded blankets and no linens. The far wall was lined with tall wooden lockers, and on the far end of the right wall was a door to the bathroom.

"I must ask you to change into your training outfit and return to your training hall as soon as possible. When you return to your room in the evening, I will have arranged everything for you. You can ask your roommates to show you the living room later," Emima spoke with a smile.

"Thank you," Asami said and bowed shortly. Emima then hurried back toward her office, waving at Asami just before she rounded the corner.

Sighing in relaxation, Asami quickly changed clothes. Her training outfit consisted of black sweatpants and a black T-shirt. There was a black tank top as well, but she did not feel like showing herself off too much on the first day already. Tying her black boots – which were rather uncomfortable compared to the rest of her outfit, she realized with a frown – she folded her old clothes and placed it on her bed, deciding that she would deal with it later.

"Okay," she told herself. "Cannot wait to see if I can actually find my way back to the training halls..."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Korra felt terrible in every possible way as she woke up to the sound of Amon closing the door to the bathroom.

Realizing that the feeling in her arms had finally returned, she wrapped her still naked body in the blanket and went to retrieve her clothes, which had been so carelessly tossed on the floor during the heated night.

Nearing the bed, she frowned, catching the smell of sweat and intimacy still lingering to Amon's blankets. Bending over to grab her clothes, she froze, feeling as something thick and wet ran down her inner thigh.

It took her only a few seconds to figure out what it was. Shame, disgust, repulsion, and – most of all – _panic _overwhelmed her. And anger.

Amon had not pulled himself out in time.

In desperation she used her blanket to dry off most of it, but she knew she would have to wash herself in order to remove it all – if she were lucky. Maybe it was already too late. She would not have her period in the next one and a half week. She could not wait this long to find out whether or not Amon had gotten her pregnant.

Just the thought of it, the mere word spoken in her mind, made her feel sick and made her feel anger to an unexplored extent. She was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes, her body shaking uncontrollably.

The moment Amon left the bathroom, she was on him, grabbing his collar with such force that he heard the seams snap apart.

"_You_," she hissed, warm, quick tears rolling down her face. "You..."

She did not know what to say. Sobbing, she collapsed onto knees in front of him, clutching his shirt in longing for support. Amon watched her coolly until the moment he realized what it was all about. He tensed.

For the first time in ages, he felt dumbstruck with a nagging feeling of helplessness. Had this happened to any other woman, he would just have kicked her out and told her that this was her own problem, but he could not release the Avatar. And he sure as hell could not seek help about this. Someone would figure out what was going on between them. If word about it got out in public, he would lose everything he had worked for. His own people would turn their backs to him. His plan would shatter into nothingness.

At a loss for words, he did the only thing he could do; he left.

The feeling inside of Korra was indescribable. Not only was this Amon's fault entirely, but he also ignored her. She did not know what she should have expected of him in the first place, seeing as she barely had had time to think about her situation, but surely she had not believed him to just _walk away_. As the leader of the Equalists, the man had to have a great feeling of responsibility for everything that happened in this building and all the other bases. Especially in those situations where he was involved, not to mention those situation he had created himself.

Korra could not stop crying. Even when she stood up and went to the bathroom, warm tears rolled down her cheeks.

She turned on the water and entered the shower cabinet immediately, not caring that the water was still far too cold to shower in. She needed to clean herself _now_.

Using her fingers, she tried to force out the rest of Amon's sticky remains, repeating the movement until her fingers seemed somewhat clean against the water. Even then, she continued for a moment, wanting to feel as secure as she could – which was very little.

She remembered her mother's lessons from before she moved to Republic City. Her mother had explained her that the chance of becoming pregnant was connected to the menstrual cycle. According to her theory, it was only possible to become pregnant during the three dry weeks, the closer to the middle, the bigger chance. It was impossible to become pregnant during a period. Although Korra hated that time of the month, she truly wished that she had been in her period right now. Then this would never have happened. She even doubted that Amon would have touched her like that in the first place, seeing as many men found the blood repulsive.

Feeling that this was at good as it got, Korra turned off the water and wrapped herself in a towel.

When Amon returned, they needed to talk.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Finally finding her way back to the training halls, Asami hesitated for a moment before entering hall A.

The hall was surprisingly large with a high ceiling and shiny wooden floor. Scattered around the floor were eight large rubber mats on which people were fighting in teams. Asami watched in awe as they charged and dodged, their bodies moving rhythmically as if dancing.

"Why hello there. You must be Asami," a voice sounded next to her, and she was ripped from her observation in surprise. By her side stood one amazingly tall and brawny man clad in something that looked like a mixture of her training outfit and the usual uniforms. Asami had to raise her gaze to look him in the eyes. He grinned widely by her reaction and slapped her shoulder so that she was about to stumble forward.

"Hey, Talan!" the man then called, summoning a much smaller but very athletic-looking man.

"Asami, right?" Talan asked, assessing her body in a way that was rudely obvious. She ignored his stare, knowing that there were many more to come. She nodded.

"Good," Talan continued and gestured for her to follow him. He stopped by one of the rubber mats, nodding toward the lot fighting. "Before you can perform like them, you must know some theory behind our fighting style." He paused to let Asami observe a bit in silence.

"As you see, our primary strength lies in our offense. The best defense is an attack, as they say. One should never underestimate the efficiency of being defensive at times, however," Talan spoke and then pointed at one of the younger men fighting. "Only when our strength is surpassed by our opponent, we should tend to defensive fighting. Then we wait for an opening, wait for them to make a mistake, become distracted, or just about anything that gives us the advantage – and then we turn offensive and strike again. Like a spider killing its prey."

Asami remembered the times she had fought against Equalists and realized that Talan was right. They were mostly aggressive – or "offensive", as he put it. She nodded thoughtfully.

"But does it not give a huge advantage to men, seeing as you usually are stronger of nature?" she asked, still observing. The man by her side smirked.

"Not necessarily. Being offensive is not only a question of physical strength – it is just as much agility and speed. Women are generally more agile than men, which gives you an advantage there. In the end, men and women end up fighting a bit differently. While men strive to place quick and strong hits, women are better at avoiding hits and may attack more often, but not as strongly."

Asami let her eyes find a new person to observe, one of her own gender. Finding one, she smiled faintly. The woman was indeed moving faster than most of the recruits in this room.

"The same goes for you," Talan added. "You do not seem to be of the muscular type, rather elegant and agile than anything. I know nothing of your speed, however, but this can be trained just as easily as everything else."

"I would not say that I am faster than what is normal," Asami shrugged. "I have fought before, but I have been relying on weapons too much, I guess." The man who had greeted her before showed up at the other side and laughed.

"Oh, we use weapons, alright. You will learn to use them once you have learned the basics," he said and winked. Talan nodded in agreement.

"As Boban said, you must master the basics first. We cannot depend entirely on our weapons in a fight, should they break or be lost in any way. Our bodies are our most important weapon." Talan then turned to Boban with whom he exchanged silent messages. Boban grinned widely, and Talan nodded.

"Come with me, Asami. I will show you where to begin. I do not hit as hard as Boban, after all," he spoke and led Asami to the only free rubber mat in the far end of the room.

"First of all, you must retain a relaxed posture. Spread your legs a bit and bend you knees lightly. Sway a bit, let the weight of your body shift between your feet. Do you feel how your body is more easy to move around?"

Asami nodded, shifting her weight as she was told to.

"The key to never lose this readiness is to never stop moving. Once you stand completely still, your joints will harden, and your muscles will start producing tiny amounts of lactic acid. We must avoid that," Talan explained, swaying slightly like Asami.

"Your goal is now to hit me in the stomach with your fist, nothing too hard, but do it quickly. Become offensive already from the beginning," the man continued, raising his hands in defense. Asami gulped and scrunched her brow.

"Come on," he goaded her with a smirk. Counting to three in her head, Asami charged for the man, her fist ready to strike. Just as she was about to extend her arm, she was kicked away, Talan's move so quick and precise that she never really realized what was going on before she was lying on the rubber mat, her stomach aching.

"Come, try again. This time you need to begin your strike before you reach me." Asami sighed and climbed to feet.

_I sense that this will be a very long day_, she thought with a wry smile and readied herself for the next blow.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

"They are growing stronger for each day, are they not?" the Lieutenant asked proudly, watching some of their more experienced recruits fighting. Amon had been silent ever since they had eaten breakfast together, but the Lieutenant was sure that he just had a lot to think about with the whole moving to another base event. Amon nodded absentmindedly.

"They are," he finally spoke. No matter how many breathtaking fights he observed, only one thing really made it though to his consciousness. He had to do something.

"You are going to the city today, right?" Amon asked. The Lieutenant was surprised to hear his superiour and friend finally wake up from his mental sleep. He smiled and nodded.

"I am to retrieve some test equipment from Mr. Sato, as you know."

"Of course," Amon answered. "I need you to do something for me, seeing as I am not going for the next few days. Something personal which I would appreciate if you kept to yourself."

"Oh?"

"I had one of the recruits approach me yesterday. She is having a bit of a problem, seeing as she has been with one of the others under irresponsible circumstances. She asked me to get her something at the drugstore, like a morning-after pill," Amon told his second-in-command, who looked at him with a look of disbelief and confusion. Amon shrugged casually. "I asked her to talk to Emima about it, but she seemed reluctant about the idea of sharing it further. Can you do it?"

The Lieutenant rubbed his temples with a sigh.

"I will see what I can get."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

_Thank you for reading! :3_

_**Let me hear your thoughts **upon pregnancy in fanfictions. You like or you dislike?_


	13. Friendship

_**Please read!**_

_There have been a lot of different opinions about Korra and the pregnancy. First of all, I want to tell you that I had decided what to make of it even before asking you guys – I merely asked out of curiosity, I was not asking for you to decide. The answer to the pregnancy is not in this chapter; you will have to be patient and see what I have in mind for Korra (and you). I hope I have your support in whatever I have decided. The only thing I can reveal right now is that I know many of you will be surprised and perhaps also delighted. It will, however, take some time before any of you find out what I have planned. _

_Please have patience – and enjoy! :3_

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

**Chapter 13: Friendship**

The Lieutenant had always seen himself as a respectable and independent man whose work in the Equalist organization was irreplaceable. But the moment the turned the handle and entered the drugstore, his mighty self crumbled inside of him, feeling utterly embarrassed.

It was Mia looking after the shop today, the Lieutenant realized with a relieved sigh. His sister's daughter was new on the job, but she was a smart and responsible woman. Knowing that she certainly would not spread bad rumours about the Equalists, the Lieutenant felt that he could confide in her.

With a smile, he stepped up to the counter, and Mia's bored look turned into a sweet smile.

"Uncle!" she greeted. "What a pleasure seeing you. What can I do for you today? Another epidemic round of stomach flu in the headquarters?" The Lieutenant smiled for a moment, remembering the tragic even a few months ago. Although it had been a plague, it had been a bit amusing that only about half of their recruits had actually been able to show up at the training sessions for a whole week. Everybody was joking about it now.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he shook his head, his expression turning somewhat grave.

"On behalf of one of our female recruits, I was asked to retrieve something to avoid pregnancy after an, ah, _accident_," he spoke, feeling the heat rise to his face. Having always been a lone man, he had no experience in this field. Mia raised a brow and nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, I guess some of your recruits bond a bit too tightly," she commented with a dry grin. "Wait here. I will go get some various products which you can choose from."

The Lieutenant blessed himself lucky that he was the only customer right now. It would have been a problem if any regular citizen caught word of this accident. It would spread rumours like ripples in a pond.

Returning with several boxes, Mia put them all on the counter, taking one box up at a time.

"Morning-after pills, some preventive ointment, and lastly something I would recommend the couple to use; condoms," Mia presented professionally, but with a sly smile The Lieutenant was dumbstruck for a moment, nodding slowly.

"Give me one of each," he then said with a shrug. "I was not told _exactly_ what to get for her..."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Having finished the list of suspicious locations before their capture, Mako and Bolin had realized that all they could do for now was to walk around the city and find clues.

They had started in the temple on Aang Memorial Island, looking for just about anything that could tell them where Amon and his army had been residing before the fight with Korra. Nothing there.

Then they had successfully found their way to the building in which the weekly purification ceremonies were held, but it was completely empty for traits of the Equalists.

They had visited the Equalist base in which they had been held capture. The police had been cleaning it during their own search for clues, and according to Chief Lin Beifong they had found nothing here as well.

It was afternoon when they had given up and decided to start from scratch by looking everywhere, walking through the streets in order to find anything suspicious. They had not seen as much as one Equalist yet, or heard anyone talking about them. The only related chatter they had caught was about the capture of the Avatar, but nobody knew exactly _where_ she was held capture.

Bolin's stomach growled loudly all of a sudden, breaking the silence between he and his brother.

"I am starving," he groaned. Mako nodded grimly, having only eating a small amount of breakfast as well, because of the bad news.

"Then keep an eye out for a food stall as well," Mako said.

The boys continued their search for a while, until Bolin suddenly stopped.

"I smell food. Dumplings. And fried shrimps!" he said, his eyes lighting up. Without any complaints, Mako followed his brother as he rounded a corner to a small side street. Along the houses were a few stalls, two of which were selling food. Bolin headed right for them with an eager expression, rummaging through his pockets for coins.

"Hold on," Mako suddenly said, his voice low and his eyes wary. Without a word, he nodded toward something further down the street. Bolin turned to see what it was, his own eyes widening.

Mere twenty metres from them, the Lieutenant had just left a shop, unaware of their presence. Holding Bolin back until the man had walked a bit away from them, he turned to his brother.

"We need to follow him. Wherever the Lieutenant is, Amon is as well. He will lead us straight to the base where Korra is." Having forgotten everything about rumbling stomachs, Bolin nodded with a determined frown.

Keeping their distance, the boys trailed behind the Lieutenant, who seemed oblivious to the fact that he was being followed.

The Lieutenant turned around a corner which led further away from the heart of the city. Peeking around the corner before going, the boys smiled in unison, feeling the adrenaline pumping through their system. Maybe Korra was even closer than they had expected.

Before the boys rounded the corner, the Lieutenant had disappeared around yet another corner, and they started running, refusing to let their chance slip away.

Barely had they reached the next corner when they had to jump for their lives, a Satomobile growling right in front of them. They managed to get out of the way just in time for the vehicle to pass them, the Lieutenant smirking triumphantly at them from behind the steering wheel.

Running after the vehicle as it steered through the streets, Mako and Bolin soon realized that they were simply moving too slow.

Cursing, Mako skidded to a halt, Bolin following his example. The Lieutenant disappeared behind the next corner, and the boys sighed.

"We will never be able to follow him at this rate," Bolin spoke, angrily kicking away some pebbles at his feet.

"If only Asami had been here. She would have been able to catch up with him with her own Satomobile."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

When the clock struck five in the evening, Asami felt sore to an unexplored extent, but also blessed that she would be able to take rest of the day off.

"Good work today, Asami," said Talan with a smile just as Asami was about to leave the hall. Smiling weakly, she bowed her head in reply and followed the few girls heading for the changing room. Stopping in her tracks, she realized that she had brought neither clean clothes nor a towel. She would have to return to her room to change.

On her way back, she passed the stairs leading up to the leaders' private chambers, and stopped for a brief moment, looking up. She neither saw nor heard anything from the hallway, and she wondered what she would find if she went upstairs.

_No, I am not going there. I have barely moved in, and I refuse to get kicked out already. Besides, I need to locate Korra before I do anything that drastic. If I were to be thrown out of the organization, I would waste out last chance of saving her_, Asami told herself. Throwing a last glance upstairs, she continued down the hallway.

The way between the training halls and her room was becoming vaguely familiar, and she found her way back after only a few tries.

When she entered room eighteen, it was still empty for life. Savouring the bit of privacy, she allowed herself to check out the lockers by the wall, happy to notice her name recently tagged onto the one at the far left. Opening it, she was surprised to find literally everything she would need; a toothbrush, two bottles of soap, some towels, four sets of underwear, two sets of spare clothes, a hairbrush, sanitary pads, and a few other items that made it possible for her to look appropriate. She would miss having a bit of make-up, but she supposed that it had never been a necessity to her.

Noticing that her private clothes had been put in the locker as well, she smiled to herself. Although it would only be like this today, she liked the feeling of being served by someone. She had not had a servant since she discovered her father's cooperation with the Equalists and moved out.

Wrinkling on her nose by the dreadful memories, she gathered some things, closed the locker, and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

The warm water felt amazing against her bruised skin and sore muscles, stinging at first but soothing after a few minutes.

All of a sudden, she remembered her friends, and guilt washed in over her. She knew how depressed and angry the boys had been after Korra's abduction, and she knew her departure had only made things worse. Half of the group was gone now, and although Asami knew that all they needed was moral support, she had left. Mako and Bolin were probably feeling nothing less than terrible right now.

Hearing voices from the room, Asami snapped out of her thoughts and decided that she would finish quickly. Residing in the bathroom the entire evening would not result in a good first impression, she mused.

"Who is in there?" she heard a voice.

"It is probably just a new girl," another voice answered. Indistinguishable chatter followed, and Asami stopped listening, focusing on getting ready instead. She remembered what Emima had told her about meals and decided that she would definitely not spend her first night sleeping on an empty stomach. Not after that intensive and very painful training she had underwent during the day.

Feeling a strange nervousness just as she was about to turn the door handle, Asami sighed. She had never really been the shy type, but for some reason this meant a lot to her. It was important to mingle well. Being the centre of a social network made you receive a lot of news and rumours, and this was exactly what she needed to find Korra.

Counting to three, she finally opened the door and greeted her new roommates with a smile. The three girls turned to look at her with brief curiosity. The girl sitting on the bed beneath Asami's smiled gently, returning her gaze to the book in her lap. The second girl smiled somewhat indifferently and continued with whatever she had been doing. The third girl, however, looked at Asami for some time, her eyes thoughtful. Then, all of a sudden, her gaze turned cold, her smile turning into a smirk.

"What do we have here?" she asked, raising one eyebrow provocatively. "You must be the daughter of Mr. Sato. Asami, I believe?"

Asami was taken aback. She had no idea of who the girl was, and she felt nervous being recognized like that by a stranger. Had the girl been from the industrial circle, it would have made sense, but the girl staring at her did not seem like the inventive type, not to mention intelligent, either.

"You know me, it seems. But who are you?" Asami answered, her tone much colder than she had intended her first conversation to start with. The girl raised her brows even further, exchanging gazes with the girl by her side for a brief moment.

"I am Shenra," came her only reply. That did not exactly help Asami.

"How do you know me?" Asami continued. The girl reading looked up for a brief moment.

"I would be surprised if anyone here did _not_ know you," answered Shenra with a provocative shrug. The girl by her side grinned.

"Well, it seems that most here do not know me," Asami answered and decided that it was time to end the conversation. This was not going well at all. She went to her locker and threw in some things.

"Uneducated fools, I guess," Shenra laughed. The reading girl shrugged indifferently.

Deciding that this was not worth it, Asami shrugged as well and climbed to her bed. Shenra exchanged gazes with her blonde friend once again, both grinning.

"Now, let me introduce you to the others," Shenra continued. "This is Kiin, and underneath you is Larila. Do not mind her; she does not talk much." Larila raised her gaze from the book, her expression indifferent.

"I can speak just as much as you. I have yet to find anyone worth speaking to, however," came her sharp reply, and for a moment both Shenra and Kiin seemed authentically dumbstruck. Then Shenra gathered her facade, shrugged, and laughed.

"She sure is weird," Shenra added finally and returned to unpacking her sports bag. Asami did not know what to say, so she decided that perhaps she should look for the living room on her own instead of wasting her time. Besides, the longer time she spent close to Shenra and her brainless puppet Kiin, the more she had to fight to not teach them a thing or two about attitude.

Climbing down from her bed, she left the room without a word.

Barely had she passed three doors before she was stopped.

"Asami," called Larila, walking up to her. "Please do not mind Shenra. She has some attitude problems, but she is not always like this. I guess she is trying to impress you somehow."

Asami raised her brows in disbelief, allowing Larila to walk next to her.

"Well, as long she does not talk about me that way, I guess I can ignore her," Asami replied with a shrug. "But how can you let her treat you like that, by the way?" Larila smiled feebly.

"Shenra is just trying to find herself and her social place. Both of us have been her for some time now, but it was not until recently that Kiin showed up. Before Kiin, Shenra was okay, I guess. But when Shenra finally found out that she can manipulate others, she started behaving like what you just saw. As for me, I have learned to ignore her."

"Somehow, I cannot help but feel sorry for both of them," Asami added. "When I was younger, I used to be a bitch as well, but it was because I was insecure about myself. When my mother passed away, I learned that life is about so much more than just being adored socially."

Larila nodded thoughtfully, a sad smile on her lips.

"I have heard about your mother. In fact, the only reason why Shenra knows of you is because of the rumours circulating around when you and your father had your disagreement. After you left, he hesitated in providing us technology, and word around you spread quickly."

Surprised by this, Asami could not help but feel bad. Ever since the fight with her father, she had truly believed that he did not care about her anymore and that he had chosen the Equalists over her without even a second's doubt. Now it seemed that she had been wrong. Something inside her softened.

"I see," Asami spoke. "I did not know." Larila shrugged, not surprised. It was not like Mr. Sato had been there to tell his daughter about it, of course.

"Something entirely else; where are we going? Dinner is not until about twenty minutes," Larila said with a teasing smile, changing the atmosphere instantly.

"Oh, I was actually looking for the living room. Emima told me to ask you girls to show me around a bit, but I decided I would just take the tour alone, seeing as all of you were busy either reading or being annoying." Larila laughed.

"Then we are going in the wrong direction. You are headed for the training halls again," the girl added. Feeling a bit of heat rising to her cheeks – something which Asami rarely felt – she could not help but allow a smile on her lips.

"Well, I do not know how to get there, you know," Asami defended.

"Then let me show you around," Larila offered with a smile.

"It would be nice. But please do not make it too long. I am starving," Asami said.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

Amon's head had been spinning with thoughts the entire day. It annoyed him greatly that he could not focus on his work because of fear. If Korra were to become pregnant, the entire city would know in less than a week. No matter how strong an organization the Equalists were, and despite the rule of confidentiality inside the organization, many recruits still had contact to non-members. And rumours travelled faster than anything. If Korra were pregnant and people found out, everybody would suspect him. He was the only person with whom she had had physical contact during her imprisonment.

Suddenly, a realization hit him, and a smirk tugged at his lips. There was that one incident when a door guard tried to jump the Avatar. He remembered how furious he had been when the guard finally admitted his plans, but now it turned out to be a good thing. Nobody truly knew how far the guard had gone with the Avatar, but Amon knew that he could easily convince people that the father of the Avatar's unborn child was the guard. Amon would blackmail him to accept it as the truth. It was all perfect. A cruel but deliciously brilliant back-up plan. All he needed to do was wait.

Like summoned, the Lieutenant knocked on the door to Amon's office and entered, slipping inside quickly. Amon straightened in his seat and greeted his friend and second-in-command without seeming suspiciously happy for his return.

With a proud posture, the Lieutenant approached the leader's desk and dropped the bag from the drugstore onto it. For a brief moment, Amon savoured the sound of several boxes inside the bag, but hid the excitement completely behind his porcelain mask.

"This was what I could get. I put the bill into the bag as well. Please tell the girl that I want my money refunded in a week or less," the Lieutenant spoke calmly, his face grave. Amon nodded and hid the bag in a drawer.

"I will tell her. Thank you for your help," Amon responded coolly. The Lieutenant nodded once. What he would not do for the sake of friendship...

"Something entirely else," the Lieutenant added. "It seems that the Avatar's bender friends are still looking for her. They caught sight of me in the city, but I managed to shake them off." Amon's eyebrows rose slightly before he frowned, having forgotten the Avatar's friends entirely after their escape.

"I see," Amon spoke and stood up, pacing a bit behind his desk. "I had expected them to give up their search already, but it seems that they are even more stubborn than I first realized. I will think of something. Thank you for letting me know, Lieutenant. You may go."

"Sir," the Lieutenant replied with a bow and left the office.

With a sigh, Amon rubbed his temples and sat down again. He had been too focused on the problems inside the Equalists instead of the problems outside. The Avatar's friends still proved a threat to him, but it would take them months to trace the main headquarters. The security was nothing less than excellent here. They had several proofs that this building was used as a storage for naval machinery. Not even the police could get a search warrant on the base. Besides, if the Avatar's friends were to find the headquarters, they would need an army of benders to stand a chance against the Equalist recruits. And Amon truly doubted that the Avatar had this many friends and supporters.

Pushing the topic aside, Amon decided that he could not postpone his primary mission a minute longer; he needed to see to the Avatar.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Korra's world had crumbled in a way she had never thought possible. At the beginning of her imprisonment, she had told herself that everything would be alright as long she was still a bender, oblivious to the fact that Amon could destroy her life in other ways. But now that pregnancy had become an actual threat, Korra realized that life was even more fragile than she had ever believed it to be. Especially _her_ life, seeing as there were things she could not yet experience because of her responsibilities as the Avatar. Falling in love, settling down, starting a family... It was not her life. Not yet. Having a child now would destroy everything.

These thoughts had lulled her to sleep on the couch, the streams of tears that had accompanied said thoughts now drying on her face. It was a shallow sleep, never deep enough for her to forget the miserable thoughts in her head, nor deep enough to make her forget her freezing body shaking against the cool leather beneath her. It was, however, deep enough for her to overhear the sound of the lock clicking and the door opening.

A strange feeling washed in over Amon when he saw the Avatar shaking in her own desperate embrace. He did not know why it pained him to see her like that. She was an enemy, a prisoner. She deserved no better. But despite logic, the sight clenched around his chest. He could not stand to see her like this.

Sitting down on the edge of the table, Amon let the bag from the drugstore dump onto the wooden surface hopefully loud enough to wake the girl. The Avatar registered the sound, but instead of waking she merely turned around, her face now close to his. He witnessed her eyelashes flickering and knew that she was haunted even in her sleep. Had it been mere days ago, he would have loved the sight of her suffering, but now... now he just wanted it to stop.

"Avatar. Wake up," he spoke, his voice softer than he had intended.

Korra's eyes snapped open by the sound of the voice which had already hurt her so much. Surprised and disgusted by his unwanted proximity, she turned her back to him.

"Go away," she said coldly. Amon was not surprised. Standing up, he withdrew to the sofa chair on the other side of the table, watching her coolly as he spoke.

"I got something for you. I want you to take them." After a short silence, Korra turned around to see what the man was talking about. She grabbed the bag and rummaged through it, her eyes widening in the process. Sitting up, she took the two boxes and read the descriptions.

Morning-after pills and some sort of ointment that would prevent pregnancy. She stared wide-eyed at the boxes, incredulous. She had never heard of either of the things before. On the South Pole they did not use these things. If a woman became pregnant, she would give birth to her child, proud and responsible. But with these two boxes, a whole new world of possibilities opened before her.

Noticing the girl's hesitation, Amon cursed under his breath. People from the Water Tribes were horribly old-fashioned when it came to sex and pregnancy. He doubted they even performed abortions. Maybe it was against their beliefs, or perhaps it was their only way of making sure their tribes grew in members.

"You are supposed to use them, not just stare at them," Amon urged with a sigh. Korra had no idea of how to respond. She was feeling a mixture of emotions, mainly relief because she now had a chance to avoid becoming pregnant, and hurt because... because what? She was not entirely sure, and she did not want to know.

Nodding in silence, she stood up and disappeared into the bathroom.

Grasping the chance to move unseen, Amon hid the box of condoms which the Lieutenant had also brought, knowing that the Avatar would most likely get angry if she knew he chose to keep them. Something told him that he would need them at some point.

Returning to the sofa chair, Amon continued to wait in silence.

Meanwhile, Korra was reading the instructions with a slight frown. According to the pharmacists, it was recommended to take the pill on full stomach. Korra's stomach was empty. She had not eaten anything since moving to this base, reluctant to the idea of eating together with so many people who hated her.

She swallowed one pill, saving the second pill for later. She had this nasty feeling that she might need it another time. She also read the instructions to the ointment and quickly followed the few steps. She was relieved to find that the tube contained enough for several uses, and she hid both the pill and the ointment under the bundle of clean towels in the tall cabinet.

Washing her hands, she left the bathroom without any expression whatsoever. Amon rose to feet and stopped before her, his golden eyes catching her teal ones.

"I want you to eat something," he said, much to Korra's surprise. Had he read the instructions too?

For once, seeing more benefits than consequences in doing so, Korra agreed to join Amon as he started to head for the canteen. Korra savoured the fact that her hands were not tied up this time.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Asami was laughing by the time she and Larila reached the canteen.

"I see," she said. "I believe that to be enough reason for me to _never_ set foot in the men's changing room. I would not want to experience something like that, _ever_." Larila, still chuckling heartily, dried her teary eyes as they entered the room.

"Me neither," the girl answered.

The smile on Asami's lips died when she realized where they were headed; straight toward the table where Shenra and Kiin were sitting, chatting loudly with a group of boys their own age and a bit older. Asami stopped and received a confused glance from Larila.

"Are we going to sit there?" she asked, a slight frown on her face. Larila shrugged.

"The only way to become better friends is to spend time together. If you avoid her, you will just end up hating each other. Living in the same room will become a nightmare," Larila explained. "Besides, there are rarely seats elsewhere. People always sit together with their roommates or in groups with someone their own age."

Asami nodded in agreement, seeing Larila's point. Following the girl silently, Asami sat down by Shenra's table and flashed a fake smile when Shenra quickly eyed her with that cool gaze of hers.

Barely had they sat down when the bell rang, signalizing that food was ready.

"We take turns to get food. The closer tables go first, and when most of them have returned to their seats, the next row of tables go," Larila explained.

"I see," Asami replied, watching as the first group of recruits rose to feet, grabbed a plate each, and formed a straight queue by the buffet. It was amazing to find such order and discipline among these people, Asami decided. She knew a handful of people who could use such discipline.

"We usually sit by rank as well," Larila continued with a smile. Although rang and age do not necessarily go hand in hand in a place like this, it is often seen. If you look forward, you will see that our leaders, their friends, and most of our seniors are gathered by the far table."

Asami straightened her back to look at the table only a few rows away. She recognized the Lieutenant, with whom she had fought once, but she did not see Amon.

"Does Amon eat here?" she asked, still looking around.

"Sometimes," Larila replied. "He always waits for the room to clear out before eating, however. I guess he does not like showing his face to recruits. He does not mind the Lieutenant watching him, though." Larila shrugged finally.

"So none of you guys have seen his face?" Asami continued, feeling excitement sweep in over her. Larila chuckled and shook her head.

"Unfortunately not, although most of us are dying to see what he is hiding. There are quite a lot of ugly rumours about him. The only thing we know is that the Lieutenant has denied some of these rumours. Personally, I do not think Amon has anything to hide except for his identity."

"But I heard him speak of scars from the benders that killed his family. Do you think he is lying?"

Before Larila managed to answer, people around them stood and went to the buffet counter. Following them, Larila shrugged.

"I have no idea. As I said, this is as much a mystery inside the organization as outside of it. Only the Lieutenant really knows."

Asami frowned slightly.

"How do we even know that Amon is who he claims to be, then? For all I know, he could be my uncle, a gardener, or councilman Tarrlok even," Asami spoke. Larila laughed at Asami's suggestions.

"You probably should never call him Tarrlok to his face. Remember that they are enemies," Larila pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, if the Lieutenant chooses to trust Amon, I believe we can all trust him."

"The Lieutenant could be corrupt as well," Asami added.

"He could," Larila agreed with a shrug. "By the way, you sure seem skeptic. If you do not trust Amon, why did you join the organization?"

Asami froze. She had been too obvious, carried away by the conversation. She would have to thread lightly.

"I guess I am a bit skeptic. I just imagine that it can be hard to rely so much on someone you do not really know. But I guess it will come eventually," Asami said with a smile. Larila nodded in agreement.

"I see your point. I felt like that, too, in the beginning. But you get used to it, just like you get used to trusting people around you. I tell you, training with someone you distrust is actually quite uncomfortable, not to mention when we are out on missions. Jumping down from a roof while looking into the eyes of a stranger, expecting him to catch you in time... You will have to get used to that."

The shiver that travelled through Asami's body nearly caused her to drop the spoon with which she was scooping food onto her plate. Larila did not miss this and broke into laughter again.

"Cannot wait," Asami grumbled, already dreading the things to come.

Soon, the girls returned to their table with filled plates. Barely did they start eating when the atmosphere changed instantly. Laughter died out, chatter stopped. People stared. Asami was about to ask Larila, but the girl was already whispering.

"The Avatar."

Asami froze. Korra was here.

Looking around, she caught sight of her friend who followed behind Amon as he took seat at the far table. Judging only by Korra's posture, Asami could see that there was something entirely wrong. Korra did not seem to be suffering from any visible damages, but the way she walked, the way her head hung in defeat, her cold eyes watching the floor – it all told her that she was miserable. Asami felt a lump in her throat.

Soon, hurtful whispers started, and Asami witnessed as several people from her table threw food after Korra, who ignored it.

"Filth," she heard Shenra hiss from the seat on the other side of Larila. Larila was quiet, frowning slightly as she continued to eat.

Asami's inner burned with rage, but she knew that she could not stand up for Korra unless she wanted to face exclusion. Her only chance of saving her friend would be wasted. She had to blend in, gain their trust, and then rescue Korra. She was in no position of doing anything right now.

The nauseous feeling in her body made it difficult to eat, but Asami forced it away and started to eat, shutting out the many mocking nicknames and insults that were thrown at the Avatar. She fought to keep her body from shaking in anger. It was a challenge.

But although Asami managed to ignore the people around her, she could not ignore the fact that Korra was mere metres from her. She looked up again in the same moment as Korra, and their eyes met. The look in Korra's eyes was indescribable. Confusion, betrayal, hurt, anger, and most of all – a plea for help.

Once again, Asami felt her inner freeze. She could not tell Korra what was on her mind, neither could she let the others know that they knew each other. Ripping her gaze from Korra was among the most difficult things she had ever had to do, but she did it, and she pretended like nothing had happened.

In that moment, Asami felt worse than trash.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

_This chapter was (like the title indicates) about friendship: the friendship and loyalty between the Lieutenant and Amon, Asami's fight to establish and maintain friendships, and Mako and Bolin's friendship with Korra, which makes them never give up their search. _

_Friendship is a beautiful thing, and because of it we humans do a lot of crazy things which we would never do for a stranger. This chapter shows what people are willing to do for the people they love, no matter how much it hurts._

_I hope you enjoyed._

_Love, MAL._


	14. Compassion

_Thank you all for still reading!_

_I must apologize for another late update. I have had a lot on mind the past few months. I hope I will be better at updating from now on ^^_

_Please Review and tell me what you think of this chapter!_

_Enjoy!_

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- **

**Chapter 14: Compassion**

Letting Amon escort her out from the canteen was a challenge. It took all Korra's self-control to refrain from approaching Asami. For whatever reason Asami was here, Korra was certain that talking to her was not a good idea, although she needed answers. Korra managed to repress the urge to speak as she was led outside.

Once again, Korra's emotions and thoughts were a total chaos inside of her. There were so many things which she did not know, so many things that nagged in the back of her mind, begging for her to investigate. But Korra knew better. In this case, she needed to ignore her curiosity and see what time would bring. Asami was intelligent. She had a plan.

Although Korra was certain of this, she could not ignore the tiny voice in her mind whispering disturbing things. Maybe Asami was not here to rescue her. The way she had responded to their eye contact told Korra that Asami was ashamed of her choice. But Korra wanted to believe. It was just hard to believe in anything good for the time being, she mused. The thought almost made her laugh bitterly.

Amon was silent while he led her upstairs, which Korra was grateful for. By the mere sound of his voice, she was reminded of his longing whispers during their hour of need. And right now it was the last thing she needed.

Korra waited patiently while Amon found his keys and unlocked the door to his – _their_ – private chambers. She did not like to think of it as a room they shared, but it was a fact that they indeed did live together for the time being.

Even though the week in the prison cell was the worst thing she had yet experienced, Korra missed the privacy, the... _shelter_. Although there had been an unnerving silence creeping in on her mind, breaking her down bit by bit, she missed it. Being out of his reach. Being locked away in a musty concrete cell, where she was safe. At least as safe as she could be while still being his captive.

Korra found herself staring at the door even after Amon had opened it for her. As his hand touched her back, pushing her forward surprisingly gently, she snapped out of her trance, almost gasping loudly. Those golden eyes stared calmly at her from behind the mask for a moment. Then he took a step back and allowed Korra full access to the room.

"Get some rest. You look pale." Those words, so softly spoken yet without a trace of genuine concern, made Korra's heart skip a beat. Just once, almost unnoticeable. But Korra noticed it without fail, and with a sneer of self-disgust she passed the masked man and allowed herself to be locked inside.

It was ironical, almost comical. He could treat her like filth, he could torture her mentally and physically, making her hate him with all her heart. And yet, all he had to do was saying the right things, touching her the right places, and her heart would turn in an instant. She hated it; hated her weakening mind, her submissive body – yes, _especially_ her body, as traitorous as it was.

Disgust was still plastered all over her face as she let her body fall back onto the couch. Closing her eyes, she tried to force her mind into a slumber. All that came, however, was a wave of tears as the events of the week were summarized in her mind.

Hiccuping back the tears, Korra tried to calm herself. Yes, the week had been rough on her. So much had happened in so short a period of time. It seemed as if she had been a captive for a month already, and the thought scared her. If this much had happened in one week, how much would she have experienced by the time this whole captivity thing ended?

_If _it ended, of course. Although she did not like to think about it, it seemed like there was no end to this. She had no idea of what Amon really was waiting for, or what role she played in it. She could only wait and pray that she would somehow manage to keep her dignity – all that was left of it – after all this. Although she was starting to doubt if it was even possible.

It took some minutes, but she managed to contain her feelings. She bit her lip, biting back every sign of weakness that had shown itself mere seconds ago. She had to be strong. No matter what Amon had planned to do with her, she knew that it was far from over. Although Amon had done a great job so far, she could not allow him to break her entirely. There would always be a fight left in her for the day when she would see her opportunity. And once she got out, she would pay him back in such manners that he would regret it all. She would make his world crumble beneath his feet. She would watch coolly as he would stumble and fall. She would watch with contempt as he was punished for everything he had done to her, no matter how many times she then would have moaned his name brokenly during the nights.

He could not break her. She simply would not let him.

With a long sigh, Korra started to relax, feeling a bit better. It lasted only moments, however, as a sudden wave of discomfort washed in over her body, and she fought to untangle her body from the sheets and stumbled toward the bathroom.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

As usual, Amon had waited for all his students and employees to leave the canteen one by one before fetching his share of dinner. Only one person remained by his side for the sheer pleasure of company.

And as usual, Amon loosened his mask enough to slide it up and let it rest on his forehead. Should anything happen, a simple tap on the edge would push the mask right back before his face.

The Lieutenant's gaze did not linger on his superior's scarred skin longer than he normally looked at anyone; he had known Amon for years and knew the entire story. Nothing new there.

There was something entirely different, however, Amon noticed. The Lieutenant seemed tense in some way. His eyes, thoughtful and dark, told him that the man had something to say. Amon ate peacefully while waiting for the slightly younger man to spill his thoughts.

"Making a girl pregnant," the Lieutenant finally said, and Amon froze for a tenth of a second, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "It is unacceptable. Of course our recruits are allowed to spend their spare time as they want, but such activities here are not suitable."

Relief spread in Amon's mind as he realized that the Lieutenant was talking about their recruits, not Korra. He knew nothing.

Nodding in agreement, Amon swallowed his barely-chewed food.

"But we must remember that these people are adults and must take responsibility for their own actions. We cannot deny them the freedom to mingle in personal affairs. This is not the military," the leader spoke and led another spoonful of hot stew to his mouth. The Lieutenant grimaced in something that reminded of disgust, then he shrugged.

"I just do not think that those two were acting responsibly," he said. "Besides, having the second-in-command running off to the drug store to get morning-after pills is not exactly something that creates a good reputation for the organization."

Amon could not help but let a small smile tug at the corner of his lips.

"You are only saying that because you felt uncomfortable being the one to go get it," he remarked with a friendly yet teasing tone of voice. Just as the Lieutenant was about to protest, Amon continued: "Although I am grateful that you did. I have had a lot on my hands these days, keeping an eye on the Avatar and our new recruits at the same time."

The Lieutenant's mouth shut again, a pleased look on his face as he nodded. Then his face turned serious again.

"I still think you should talk to that girl. Let her know to be more careful from now on."

Emptying his bowl, Amon stood and beckoned for the Lieutenant to follow him.

"I do believe that the embarrassment of having to ask me directly for help was enough to make her think twice next time. However, I will talk to her, but only this once. As I said, it is none of our business what our recruits are doing in their spare time," Amon spoke as he left the bowl on the table near the entrance to the kitchen for the kitchen boy to fetch it.

"One last thing," the Lieutenant added just as they were about to exit the canteen, and Amon stopped to look at him. "Are you sure that having the Avatar imprisoned in your private chambers is the wisest option?"

Amon slid down his mask and looked at the Lieutenant coolly.

"It is our _only_ option," he answered and pushed the canteen doors aside. "Besides, having her this close to me allows me to control her. This is the safest way."

Hesitantly, the Lieutenant nodded and followed his superior through the doors, bidding the man farewell as they parted in the hallway.

No matter how many times he had asked Amon about the Avatar's current residence, he still refused to believe that it truly was the safest – not to say the _only_ – option. But there was no reason for Amon to keep the Avatar imprisoned in his own room unless he was entirely sure that this was the best thing to do. Right?

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

The sight of Korra had ruined Asami's mood. Not that she in any way despised Korra, of course – but the guilt that she was feeling was nearly unbearable.

She knew she should not be feeling guilty at all, because she was doing all this in order to save the girl, but it haunted her to know that Korra might not even know her true reasons. And for some reason she felt guilty for hanging out with people who truly despised the Avatar. Even more, having to ignore their friendship even though they were sitting mere tables apart... It all just felt so wrong.

"You seem kind of down all of a sudden," Larila remarked in confusion. Asami sighed and swallowed.

"I am sorry," Asami spoke with a shrug. "It just feels so weird seeing the Avatar, knowing that she is just a girl about the same age as you and me. I cannot stop wondering how it must feel to bear such a responsibility already – and be the target of so much hate."

When Larila frowned, Asami feared that perhaps she had shown too much pity for Korra in her lie. Then Larila nodded thoughtfully.

"I agree with you that it is indeed weird to think about. In another time, another world, we might have been her friends. But this is our reality, and our reality says that she is an enemy of our goal and therefore also an enemy of us. Also if we do not hate her personally, we should still hate everything she stands for."

Asami was surprised to hear such harsh and determined words coming from such a gentle and cheerful girl, but she had to remember that only people who really did want bending to stop were in the Equalists. And no matter how sweet Larila seemed, she had her own reasons for hating bending. Which reminded her...

"Can I ask you something?" Asami suddenly said.

"Go ahead," Larila replied.

"For what reasons are you here? In the Equalists, I mean." It was not something Asami had thought about until now. The Equalist soldiers she had fought so far had all been aggressive and self-confident, and in many ways Larila did not seem to share the personality of those recruits. The girl was pure at heart and fond of life. There had to be a reason.

A sad smile spread on Larila's lips, and the girl shrugged lightly.

"It is not something I usually tell people. But I feel I can trust you," the girl said and gave Asami a glance that sought approval. Asami nodded, her eyes glinting with interest, so Larila continued: "When I was nine, I was bullied in school by a group of fire benders. I used to draw back then, and the gang seemingly enjoyed taking my drawings and burn them before me while I was held down. Seeing as I had no power to defend myself, I let them have their fun with me, desperately trying to ignore them. My older brother could not stand to watch me giving in to the bullying like that."

Larila paused only to beckon for Asami to sit down with her on the benches they were passing, and Asami followed her silent wish.

"One day the gang crossed the line. I was getting good at ignoring them whenever they would pester me, and it seemed to have pissed the leader off. That day, they came for me during a recess and dragged me out in the schoolyard where they held me down and ripped off my clothes until I was wearing only my underwear. Then they started burning my clothes piece for piece. I remember that I was wearing my favourite dress that day, and when they destroyed it, I could not help but scream and cry. But nobody heard me, and those who did had no desire in helping me. Everybody was afraid of the gang. That day I came home from school and wished that I could just die."

Larila paused again, and this time Asami saw moist start to gather in the corner of her eyes, but Larila managed to suppress the tears as she spoke.

"My brother was furious. He was fourteen at the time, only a few years older than those benders in the gang. He went to the corner where the gang used to hang out in their spare time, where they could throw stones at anyone passing by. My brother approached them, blinded by hatred, and although I had followed him there and begged him to stop, he jumped the leader, holding him down against the pavement as he hit him in the face several times. He would not stop and kept charging for the leader even after the leader had managed to kick him off."

Sniffing back her tears, Larila embraced herself, her gaze suddenly far away.

"They killed him. I could only stand there and watch as the boys gathered around my brother and burned him alive. And what did I do? I ran for my life." The last sentences were spoken in a voice that was rather disgusted than sad, and it was clear to Asami that Larila blamed herself.

Asami shook her head, placing a caring hand on Larila's shoulder.

"It was never your fault," she spoke softly. She wanted to say something more, but Larila quickly took the lead.

"So they say. But I blame myself for not fending off the gang in the first place. I should have been brave and stopped them myself. My brother should never have gotten involved," Larila said, her voice turning angry now. "So this is why I am here. To avenge my brother by stopping those with the power to hurt anyone like that."

Asami nodded and pulled the girl into an embrace even before she had thought of it. Although she had never hugged anyone that she barely knew, this felt right. Larila accepted her arms and leaned in to the embrace, sniffing again.

"I will help you," Asami whispered and brushed a couple of red locks behind Larila's ear.

"Thanks," Larila replied and sniffed again. Standing up, Larila dragged Asami along by her hand.

"Come on," she said with a brave smile. "All this talk is making me depressed. Wanna go get some hot chocolate?"

Asami nodded and trailed after Larila as they went back towards the canteen. The girl still not let go of her hand.

All of a sudden, Asami felt her blood run cold as she realized what promise she had just made.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Amon decided that he would postpone the current paperwork to the morning. Before the capture of the Avatar, he had spent most evenings in his office, hovering above a stack of pages which had needed to be read and signed. Those evenings used to be his favourite. Sitting there alone with nobody judging him, nobody bothering him. He would sit there and muse about the fruit of his work, the feeling of contempt growing for each day. But for the time being, the largest fruit of his work was locked inside of his room, and he intended to go enjoy it.

Something had been bothering him today, however, and he had not been able to identify it until the moment the Lieutenant had asked him that question. Was it smart to have the Avatar imprisoned in the very bedroom of the Equalist leader? When he thought about it, it amused him slightly. Of course it was not smart at all. Had the Avatar been anyone else than an attractive, young and particularly feisty woman, said Avatar would have been chained to a wall down in the cellar instead. Certainly Jayak would not mind a bit of company, not even if that company was the Avatar. The old fool would probably be honoured in some kind of way, too.

The amusement left Amon's mind as he passed a couple of recruits on his way to the stairs, recognizing one of them as Asami, the former friend of the Avatar. Although recruits usually ignored their leader or greeted him respectfully whenever seeing him outside of the training halls, this particular girl stared into the eye holes of his mask with a look that told him that she knew exactly what he was doing.

He did not like it.

Ignoring the girls, he continued upstairs, the feeling of unease starting to grow again. How many exactly knew of the location of the Avatar? If any of the recruits knew, rumours would spread like a stomach flu. And he doubted that any of those rumours would be particularly flattering.

It concerned him, too, that the Lieutenant seemed to doubt his decision about keeping the Avatar this close. It was true that their main headquarters did not have prison cells, seeing as it was technically their training facility – but if he wanted to, Amon could easily find somewhere else for the Avatar to be. And somehow he knew that the Lieutenant knew this too. It was hard to come up with believable excuses and lies to convince a man who was not stupid at all. At least the Lieutenant was truthfully loyal to him, and this was the only thing that kept him from suspecting things, Amon believed.

But that Sato girl... If anyone in the entire organization were to suspect something, it would be someone who did not trust him at all. And despite her submissiveness and engagement that she had shown today – he had kept track on her – he could not allow himself to believe that the girl was actually trustworthy. Nobody could turn their back on their friends just like that.

He needed to make sure that she was no threat to him or his plans. He would have to keep an eye on her.

Finding himself sighing, burdened with a growing annoyance, Amon stopped in front of his door to look for his keys. At first the noises inside did not break through his chain of thoughts, but when they finally did, he found himself almost kicking the door in.

He found her with her head down the toilet bowl, her body convulsing pathetically as she repeatedly relived her dinner with thick and broken cries.

He knew he should not feel compassion with the Avatar, but it was a reflex rather than a decision when he knelt by her side and placed a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder.

Korra stopped and swallowed, surprised by his touch. It took her a brief moment to remember everything, and with a frown she slapped his hand away. It was his fault that she was in this situation in the first place. And a touch on her shoulder would not prevent the side-effects from the morning-after pill she had taken.

Offended by her direct hostility, for which he did not really see an apparent reason, Amon stood up and left the bathroom without a word.

He made it barely to the middle of the bedroom before his jaw tightened and anger washed in over him. Had he been alone, he would have smashed his clenched fist right against the stone wall. It was not the fact the Avatar had rejected his rare kindness, because he was used to her resistance by now – no, it was the fact that he had allowed himself to show compassion for her when it was clearly not that kind of relationship they shared.

He felt angry and disgusted with himself for having softened up around her. He had felt signs and traces of it before, but this time it had been too much. A moment of total weakness. This was not how it should be. She was here so that he could break her down bit for bit, but the breaking down seemed to be mutual. And she was not even doing it on purpose.

Amon considered it for a moment. No, it was not the Avatar's doing at all. She had done nothing wrong in this matter. The fault was his own, for being too weak; for exposing himself to an undeniable temptation that existed in the warm and pleasurable company of a young and passionate woman. That kind of company that he had secretly been longing for for years. Had she been any other woman of her level of beauty, he would have done the same. This was what he told himself, at least.

He needed to stop whatever the hell he was doing. Sleeping with the enemy was far beyond foolish, even if it was an attempt to break her. There were other ways. He just had to find them.

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_Thank you for reading!_

_This chapter is about compassion. Whether we like it or not, feeling compassion for others is a part of being human. In this chapter you will see as Asami struggles to find the line between compassion and friendship, all while Amon has his own share of troubles. The question is how much compassion changes us as human beings, and how much it takes to ignore the compassion for those we should not be feeling compassion for at all._

_Please let me know what you think about the chapter. After all, your Reviews are what keep me going!_

_Remember to sign in before Reviewing if you want me to reply to your comment._

_Love,_

_MAL._


	15. Limitations

_Hellooo, all my lovely fans and followers! A late night update (well, inspiration came at a slightly inconvenient hour), but I decided that this was my chance to finish chapter 15!_

_I was rushing to finish the last part, so there might be typos or other mistakes. I'll probably find them someday, but you are very welcome to point them out to me. I like learning :)_

_I hope you'll enjoy reading! And please let me know what you think of this chapter.._

_Love, MAL._

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**Chapter 15: Limitations**

The remaining two members of the Fire Ferrets gazed expressionlessly out through the window, their eyes watching the sun rise above the sea. It was beautiful, but neither of them felt able to enjoy anything anymore; food had become tasteless, training was without results – just like their searching. Life had become bleak end meaningless. The only persons to keep them company were Tenzin, Pema, and their children, but loneliness seemed to be their only friends now.

Well, at least they still had each other, like before they met the girls, Bolin concluded. But it was no longer sufficient. The girls had left irreplaceable spaces in their hearts.

All of a sudden, Mako stood up from the chair.

"Tenzin!" he called, his eyes never leaving the sunrise before him.

A tired Tenzin had to leave Pema with the children's toothbrushing for a while. Running a hand over his head reminded him that he soon needed to shave again. Too many thoughts and events had kept him so busy that he was starting to neglect himself and his family.

In the kitchen, Mako had moved to the dining table, his eyes glinting with thoughts. Bolin seemed unsure whether or not it was something to interrupt his window-staring for.

"You said something about an undercover agent. The one who had spotted Asami at the Equalist ceremony," Mako began, and Tenzin nodded. "Is there any chance that we can talk to her?"

Tenzin urged for Mako to take seat with him. Bolin turned in his chair and listened to whatever was coming.

"Normally we are not allowed to reveal the identity of undercover agents, but I believe Chief Lin Beifong will see through fingers with it this once," Tenzin explained, still unsure of what Mako had in mind. "Care to share your thoughts?"

Mako nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Hope in his eyes.

"Asami was able to attend an Equalist ceremony where the undercover agent was, too. If this agent were to reveal the location of the next ceremony, maybe I would be able to sneak inside," he told, watching Tenzin's reaction intensely as his plans were revealed. Pinching his chin, Tenzin nodded thoughtfully.

"Continue," he offered.

"Korra is held captive at the same location where Amon is staying, right? If I could just keep myself hidden until after the ceremony, I might be able to follow Amon when he returns to the hideout. Perhaps even slip inside his vehicle. It will bring me right to their front door."

Tenzin suddenly crossed his arms, the corners of his mouth drooping.

"No. That is too dangerous! What if you were to get caught again?" The Airbender's voice was stern. But Mako saw no other way.

"I will not get caught. I promise!" the boy defended.

Sighing, Tenzin stood up and started to pinch the bridge of his nose, eyes closed.

"Merciful Spirits... You kids are giving yourselves away to our enemies, one by one!"

It was easy to see that the disappearance of the Avatar was a burden on Tenzin. The bags under his eyes told that he had not slept properly for days. Mako knew his plan was risky, but really, what could they do? He refused to give up. Not as long it was a question of life and death for people he held dear.

"We have no other choice. The Equalists are not coming to us, and they certainly are not revealing their hideouts," Mako said calmly.

"He is right," Bolin added. "We will have to take action. We just need to be more careful than before."

After a moment of silence, Tenzin finally sighed and sat down again, his expression still grim by the thought of letting such a young boy infiltrate an Equalist ceremony.

"Alright," he finally gave. "I will speak to Lin. Be ready for the weekend."

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Eyes intensely focused on her goal, Asami charged, her hand ready to strike the very moment her legs were forced into motion. Her fist brushed Talan's shirt at the abdomen half a second before the girl felt her legs being pushed away from under her, and she smashed sidewards down onto the rubber mat.

She did not bother standing up again.

"You are definitely getting better," Talan praised her, obviously because of the courtesy and not the fact that she was getting better. "You were so close to striking me this time!"

Asami took his extended arm and was pulled on to feet much against her true will.

"Spare your praises until the day when I actually manage to hit you," Asami replied dryly, a sour smile on her lips. Talan patted her shoulder once with a genuine smile, amused by the recruit's pessimism. She obviously did not acknowledge her own speed and agility. Because of her history of fighting, she had an advantage. Her reactions were faster than those of most of their new students. It seemed to be the techniques she was failing at.

"The day you knock me off my feet, I will bake a cake for you," Talan teased with a wink, which did not help on Asami's mood. Being this bad and taking this many hits really pissed her off. But she had to keep trying.

And yet it was not that bad. She was just impatient with her improvement.

"Better make it a three-layered chocolate cake," the girl answered in the same dry voice as before, but this time a faint smile made it to her face. However, it faded the moment she saw a well-known dark figure out of the corner of her eye.

Asami was afraid to turn and look at him. The way Amon had glared at her in the hallways the evening before made her shiver. The thought that perhaps the man had seen through her plans made her paranoid. It was not helping that he, in fact, _was_ staring at her right now for no apparent reason.

"Are you ready?" Talan asked, stealing the girl's attention. Asami had to focus to recall everything she needed to remember. Nodding, she took a fighting stance.

"Try and aim for my chest this time. Watch my entire body and try to deflect any defensive moves by my legs."

Asami breathed once. Then she charged again. Just like before, she barely managed to touch him before she was thrown to the ground, rubbing her bottom with a grimace. Talan had to fight away the urge to laugh at the girl's comical face. Asami saw no fun in it, especially not when the Equalist leader was watching her intensely.

Or _was_ he watching her? She turned her head a bit only to find Amon gone. Asami felt relief and stood up.

"I see improvement," a dark voice spoke behind her. Instantly the air was caught in her lungs, her body nearly failing to stop the yelp of surprise in time.

_Do not act suspiciously_, Asami told herself. Turning around, she bowed slightly.

"Thank you," she answered, closing her eyes so that she avoided responding to his cold, searching gaze. "But I still have a long way to go."

"You need to focus on your movements. Your strikes are too unfocused and insecure, and your stance is too weak. You are too easy to push off feet," Amon told her. Asami was surprised to be receiving fighting tips from her enemy. Not that he knew that he was her enemy. She hoped, at least.

"Yes. Thank you," Asami replied again with the same stiff and mechanical half-bow.

"When you are done here, I must ask you to come to my office. There are some practical things we need to discuss."

Asami's inner turned to ice. She failed to respond. Could only stare on his feet with wide eyes and heated cheeks.

"Of course. I will send her to you once we are finished," Talan replied quickly when he realized that Asami was not going to answer their boss anytime soon. A brief moment of silence.

"Very well," Amon said and left, his feet moving almost soundlessly across the floor as he went.

When Asami finally thawed, she was speechless.

"No need to be shy. The paperwork is always done in several steps. You will probably just have to sign some papers," Talan reassured her with a smile. "Now, stop staring. Attack me again."

Something inside Asami snapped. Whether it was from fear or annoyance or insecurity – or perhaps all of them.

She charged towards the man with renewed fighting spirit. This time she jammed her knee into Talan's stomach and kicked away his feet when he crouched in horror. The man slammed backwards down onto the rubber mat, his face a mixture of surprise, wonder, and fascination.

"I believe you owe me cake," Asami spoke flatly, ignoring the many people who had stopped their fights to watch her in amusement.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Groaning in discomfort, Korra awoke and sat up, rubbing her temples in an effort to ease the headache that had built up during the night. At least the nausea was gone now, she realized, although the thought did not make her nearly as happy as it should have.

She was dizzy. The lack of sleep had taken its toll on her body and mind, making her irritably weak by pushing her to the edge of sickness. A side-effect from the pill, she knew, but it did not make it even less uncomfortable. At least it seemed that the pill was working.

Barely had she pushed the blankets aside when a knock was put on the door. The sudden rapid sound surprised her, and her gasp just made the headache seem worse for a moment, an uncontrollable throbbing behind her temples. She groaned again and stood up.

By the sound of the lock shifting, Korra realized that she was about to get an unwanted visitor. Everybody knew when Amon was working, which he was doing right now, she assumed, seeing as he had left earlier in the morning. She had been half-sleeping then, but her lack of movement seemed to have fooled Amon into believing that she was sound asleep. He had barely looked at her before leaving.

Covering her bare skin when she realized who the visitor was, Korra watched him silently, her face blank and her skin slightly pale.

"I see you are adapting to your new prison," the Lieutenant spoke coolly as he entered the room, a tray in his hand. "Do not get used to it, however. It will not be long before things change."

She thought she saw him smile slyly for a moment, but she was far from awake enough to rely on the glimpses she caught.

The Lieutenant placed the tray on the table by the couch, his face now bitter as he reminded himself that he was the one bringing the Avatar her breakfast. It was like serving her in some way, and he did not like it, even though he knew the reason why Amon had asked him specifically. He was the only one besides Amon himself who had the key to the room.

By the sight of food, the nausea in Korra returned, and she fought to keep the last amount of nutrient in her system inside of her. Disgust shone clearly on her face, and the Lieutenant sighed irritably.

"If you do not want it, I will be happy to take it with me again," the man snarled.

"Do whatever you want," Korra replied indifferently, acting ten times more confident than she felt.

The Lieutenant felt unbearably tempted to remove the food and let the Avatar starve now that she was seemingly incapable of thanking the very man bringing her breakfast. But he knew that once Amon had decided that he wanted the Avatar to eat, she had to eat. He would not be the one to oppose Amon's orders, even though he knew he could get away with it because of their relationship. There was no need to challenge him anyway, he decided.

"You should be grateful that Amon allows you food in the first place," the Lieutenant said sternly. "Anyway, I will come check on you later. You better have eaten by then."

With a sharp turn on his heels, the man exited the room with no further comment, and Korra was left staring at the oatmeal porridge in the bowl with a frown on her face.

She knew she had to eat. If she kept refusing the food she was offered, it would just end like last time where she was starved seriously. She would get sicker and weaker for each passing day, and Korra knew that this was something she could not afford with Amon around. Eventually she would have to eat. And although her mind said no, now was a good idea. She had already forgotten last time she had actually eaten something that was not thrown up mere minutes later.

Sighing, she dumped down onto the edge of the couch, watching her breakfast unamused.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Asami's heart threatened to burst through her ribcage the moment they stopped in front of the door to Amon's office.

"I will see you tomorrow," Talan spoke with a grin and started to walk away.

"Yeah," Asami mumbled in half-hearted response, her eyes watching the wooden door with strange interest. She _really_ did not want to go in there.

When she listened intensely, she could hear him move around. Papers being rearranged and light footsteps on the wooden floor. Until both sounds suddenly stopped.

"Come in, Asami," she heard him call. Mentally cursing the volume of Talan's voice, Asami sighed and breathed one final time before pulling the door handle.

Amon had sat down behind his desk when Asami entered. His golden eyes watched her intensely as she closed the door and turned to watch him, her eyes betraying every degree of the discomfort she was feeling.

"Please, sit down," Amon offered with a simple gesture. Asami could only obey and sit down, her willpower having faded the very moment she left the training hall.

Those cool eyes assessed her silently for a moment, as if he was considering the possibilities or perhaps planning his next move. Then his eyes closed.

"How are you feeling?" he suddenly asked. Asami frowned in surprise and perhaps also a small degree of disbelief. How was she _feeling_...?

"Alright, I guess," the girl answered with a shrug. "I still have to get used to the rules and memorize the locations of the various rooms. Not to mention the slow progress of my training."

Somehow, it felt good to be talking about something so unimportant. Her adaption and familiarization. Although she doubted that he really cared about her well-being.

"I see. Yes, it takes some time to get used to our system here. You will learn it eventually," Amon spoke calmly. "Are you making friends?"

"I suppose," came her short response. Larila and maybe even Talan were the only persons she would dare to call friends already, although she suspected Talan's kindness to be out of pure courtesy. Or attraction. It would not be the first time she had made friends with someone who had more than friendship in mind. Not that it mattered, really. She would be long gone before they reached the point where he would actually act upon his attraction.

"Larila, right? I saw you with her yesterday."

Asami felt like snorting. She was _well_ aware of the fact that Amon had seen her. In fact, it was something she could not quite get out of her mind.

She nodded in response.

"What about Korra? You must be missing her," he spoke, his eyes suddenly awfully aware of her reactions. The bomb was dropped. Asami swallowed.

"A bit," she said. "But she is no different than any other friend I have had during my life. You grow apart, and eventually you forget." A great understatement and a huge lie, because nobody could ever forget a personality as great as Korra's. But Asami's tone of voice and the firmness of her gaze made her seem reliable. Amon was almost convinced. Almost.

He took a brief moment of silence before nodding in agreement.

"Alright," he then said. "That was it for today. You can leave."

Asami did not know whether to rest assured or be more nervous now that Amon had concluded something. But nonetheless, she could not suppress the urge to exit his office awkwardly quickly.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

Korra was caught in a bored slumber when something awoke her. Unlike before, this was not caused by a knock on the door nor an unwanted presence; this was something else. She could not quite identify the feeling, because if it really was what she thought it was, this was too good to be true.

Sitting up, she breathed slowly, feeling inside herself. No, she was right. There was no doubt.

Her teal eyes watched her outstretched palm intensely for a moment, a small frown on her face. The second a lick of a flame touched her skin, an inner explosion of willpower made her grin widely, her eyes glinting with more emotions than she could have recognized that very moment. Strongest of all was the desire for freedom. And revenge.

_Finally!_ Korra's mind sang as she rose to feet and reached out for her pants. _It seems that the idiots finally forgot to chi-block me in time. It was just a matter of time before someone would screw up the routine._

However, somewhere inside her, she felt bitter. Had this happened merely a few days ago, she would not have fallen victim to a possible impregnation. She still did not know how it would turn out, but for once she felt that she could trust her luck. No matter what happened, it was okay – once she got out everything would be alright. Surely there was some kind of medical intervention, should she turn out to be unlucky, right?

Catching herself thinking too much, Korra moved to the centre of the room where she faced the door leading to the bathroom. At this state she was still weak, she knew. The few times she had been chi-blocked before her capture, it had taken some hours for her powers to regain full strength. Right now it was only a spark of power inside of her system, and she would have to wait a few more hours before she would be strong enough to take on anyone at the level of a well-trained Equalist. As for Amon, she hoped that she would not bump into him during her escape.

Closing her eyes, Korra focused and sensed in a way that was only possible for her with bending. She felt her surroundings and read them, analyzed them. Recognized the methods to bend the materials and elements around her.

The element she reached out for was water, since it was the only element she could bend right here without making revealing noises or smells. She let her knees bend slightly, making her entire body flexible. Moving in a way that she had learned back in her early childhood, she pulled with her body and spirit. The sink in the bathroom protested lightly at the unwanted leak, but finally allowed Korra to pull out a snake of water.

Korra felt how the water was harder to manipulate compared to what she was used to, but she became stronger for every passing minute. Successfully, she drew the water inside the bedroom and let it encircle her body, testing her limitations. Only a few drops of water fell to the carpet – more than she would ever allow normally, but less than she had expected in this case. She smiled to herself and sent the water back into the drain before anyone would interrupt her.

She would have to wait a bit before attempting her final escape. This was an only chance, and she refused to let it go to waste by her impatience. One wrong move against a strong opponent and she was forever done bending, she knew.

According to the Equalists' routines, Amon would soon return from work. He would spend a little less than an hour in his room before heading down to get supper. The best she could do was rejecting to go eat and wait until everybody was gathered inside the canteen. Then she would give it a shot.

But for now, she would have to wait. And hope that Amon did not realize his fatal mistake until it was too late.

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_Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it :3_

_Please Review and tell me what you think!_

_Next chapter will be exciting, uuhh! XD_

_Take care, _

_MAL_


	16. Adrenaline

_Yet again I must apologize for the late update. School has taken all my time lately. But I decided to finish a chapter for you today. This is why the end of the chapter might seem a bit rushed. If I didn't get to it today, I probably wouldn't for another week or two._

_**Please read and answer my question at the bottom. It is important!**_

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**Chapter 16: Adrenaline**

When the evening bell rang, Asami felt like dropping dead right on the rubber mat. For a whole moment she actually considered whether or not it was the most pleasant thing to do, rather than continuing to try and withstand the daily hours of torture Talan and Boban was putting her through. It was so tempting to just release the strain on her weak and wobbly knees and fall.

"Asami, are you coming?" she heard a familiar voice calling from the hallways. Snapping back into reality, Asami threw a glance at the door where a well-known red-head was smiling a bit too cockily at her.

Letting a hand comb loosely through her midnight black hair, Asami stretched her arms and back and sat into motion.

"Rough day?" Larila greeted her with a growing grin. Asami flashed her a sour smile and let it remain her only response. It was more than enough for Larila, who had to focus not to laugh. She knew how hard it was in the beginning – she had been there herself – but she could not deny the fun of teasing the new recruits.

"By the way, rumours are going about you already. They say you went berserk on Talan yesterday. Is that true?" Although Larila tried to hold a somewhat neutral expression, Asami recognized the grin almost cracking through her facade, and she could not help but flash a smile herself.

"Well," she shrugged. "I got a bit frustrated, that is all." Larila nodded slowly, fighting to hold her laughter inside, but failed; soon both young women were laughing loudly, tears moisturizing the corners of their eyes. Passing Equalists threw them weird glances, but those were easily ignored.

"Come," Larila hiccuped finally, smacking Asami on the shoulder in a caring manner. "We will have to hurry, or else all the showers will be taken." Nodding in agreement – finding breath to talk seemed to hard – Asami followed her friend to the women's changing room where they approached their lockers.

Asami liked the system here. Each recruit had their own locker in which they could store their towels and clothes while training. There were twelve showers for all of them to use, and when they were done, they could throw their towels into the laundry basket by the wall. Fresh, dry towels were delivered to their rooms once every day. Everything was made and prepared for them so that they only had to focus on their training. Heck, even their clothes got washed by the many maids and servants working in the building.

Asami and Larila needed only to wait a few minutes before they snatched a shower spot each. Although there were not too many women among the current Equalist recruits, one usually had to wait some time before being offered a free shower spot. Therefore, many went back to their rooms in order to shower and change. This was the second time Asami used the shared showers. Larila had convinced her that it helped bonding with the other women, and although Asami really did not feel any sudden bonding, she did not mind it at all.

Rinsing out the last traces of shampoo, Asami closed her eyes and threw her head back into the middle of the cascading water, letting the warm water run down her body from all sides. It felt great, and she felt how the warmth of the water helped her muscles to relax. She held her breath for a long moment before moving out of the cascade.

At first she did not notice the eyes which clung to her greedily; only when she looked across the room she realized that Larila was looking at her. Or rather staring. Not at her face, but at her body. Those friendly green eyes locked on Asami's perfect curves and soft, pale skin. And the raven black hair which clung to her voluminous chest and slender back.

Asami felt her body respond to the sudden attention. Her heart started to beat faster, and a strange warmth spread in her belly in a way that was more unnerving than pleasant.

She recognized a blush on Larila's cheeks. It was only a modest shade of pink, but enough for Asami to conclude that there were uninvited thoughts going on in there. Parting her lips, Asami wanted to call out to her friend, wanted to rip the girl from the unsettling gaze she was giving her, but Larila snapped out of her trail of thoughts herself.

Larila's blue eyes widened when she realized what was going on. Ripping her gaze away from the girl who had managed to catch her attention unintentionally, she covered her face with a hand and left the shower without looking back.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

When Asami returned to her room, Larila was gone.

"Did you two have a fight or something? Larila acted as if this was the last place on Earth she wanted to be," Shenra commented dryly from the upper bunk bed where she was doing a pedicure on Kiin. Asami sighed and closed the door as she entered the room.

"No, I would not call it that," Asami replied silently as she let herself dump down onto her own bed.

"Care to share?" Shenra continued, her eyes still not leaving her work, but her voice betraying the amount of curiosity she was feeling. Kiin watched Asami with eyes of concern.

"Not really," Asami replied. "I am not quite sure what happened, myself." This caused Shenra to finally look at Asami, a frown of curiosity very clear on her face.

"Interesting," the brunette mumbled thoughtfully after a moment, then diverted her attention back to Kiin's feet. "Anyway, you wanna join us for dinner today? We are almost done here."

All Asami's inner alarms started to ring instantly. Shenra was acting _kind_. And _inviting her_. Either the girl was too curious about the newborn drama to let Asami go, or else Larila had been right when she said that Shenra was not so bad at all. Or, perhaps, the girl had been momentarily struck by a brain tumor, Asami thought with an inner smirk.

But no matter the reason, this was an invitation nevertheless; an invitation she doubted she would receive often. And it was a good chance to try and change things for the better.

"Alright," Asami replied with a soft smile. "But what about Larila? Do you think she will be joining us?" Shenra shrugged indifferently.

"Hardly. But let her come if she feels like."

"Larila tends to hide in the library whenever she needs to be alone," Kiin added feebly.

The library? Nobody had told Asami about any library. Not that she recalled, anyway.

"I have not heard about a library here," Asami said with a frown of wonder.

"Ah, but there is one," Kiin withheld and turned to Asami, much to Shenra's dismay.

"Do not move your feet, damn it," Shenra muttered irritably and started to remove a streak of nail polish that had missed its target. Kiin was too caught in conversation to hear her.

"Originally, none of us are allowed to be in the library. But it seems that Larila knows the librarian, so he lets her stay. She reads a lot, I guess," Kiin explained with a shrug.

"Where is it?" Asami asked.

"It is upstairs. I have never seen her go there, but I believe you would have to turn right in the hallway. As far as I know, Amon's private quarters are to the left."

Dumbstruck, Asami wondered why a girl as silent and unintelligent-looking as Kiin seemed to know so much about something she really should not anything about in the first place. People here sure were full of surprises, Asami concluded.

"Do you believe I could sneak up there to get her?" the raven-haired girl continued. Kiin shook her head and shrugged.

"_I_ would not risk it," Shenra added suddenly. "If you do not have the librarian to speak for your case, I imagine Amon would banish you when he found out. Because he will find out. Everybody here is loyal to him. If anyone were to see you, they would go to him directly." Kiin agreed with a nod.

"I see," Asami muttered thoughtfully.

_It seems as if there is something very secretive upstairs. I refuse to believe it is only Amon's room they wish to hide. It probably has a door lock or more, anyway, _the girl thought to herself.

"Anyway," Shenra then said, clapping once in a gesture of finality. "We are done. Shall we get going? I am starving!"

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

With a tired sigh, Amon turned the key. The lock clicked delicately, promising the Equalist leader another night with safe documents and unread secret contracts. His office was one of the few rooms he had entirely for himself. When he was not there, nobody was allowed to enter. His paranoia was too great, though; he wished not to test the loyalty of every single person walking the hallways beneath him. Without a secured lock on the door, anybody could sneak upstairs during the night and destroy months of paperwork in his office. The key, of which there was only one sample – the one in his hand –, provided him a feeling of safety.

He slipped the key into a hidden inner pocket in his shirt, where he always kept it. He preferred punctuality and a reliable system when it came to his work – the public and paper part of it, that is. The private part of his work, which had this far been filled with surprises at the lack of plans, he found quite... enjoyable. Sometimes a bit excitement and a few surprises were enough to make his job a little less boring in the long run.

As he strode through the hallway, he could hear a group of students passing the staircase downstairs. His experience was that it awoke less suspicion and curiosity if he kept his attention in front of him rather than meeting the many passing stares beneath him. So he ignored his followers and turned his back to them in order to unlock the door to his bedroom. Slipping inside, he quickly locked the door again and hid the key.

Looking around, he was surprised to find the Avatar sleeping on the couch with a book on her chest, a set of pages facing downward. For some reason he found the sight a bit peculiar. He did not know the girl fully – her temper and stubbornness as exceptions – but he believed to know her well enough to tell that she was not the literary type. But perhaps it was a mere question of boredom. There was not much to do in this room if he had to admit it himself.

Stepping closer, he read the back of the book. It was a history book, it seemed. One of those he had on the shelf on the wall above the couch. He had always used them as decoration. Books gave the impression of intelligence and patience, which was how he liked to portray himself. He did not remember having read the books, however. He spent his time reading so many other documents and pages of text. Most of them with more relevancy to him now, anyway.

Tonight, he had been later than usual when returning. Normally he had time to spend alone before dinnertime, but today he had spent some of that time making preparations for the weekend. The mob wanted to hear news at the ceremonies. Not much had happened since the last one – well, that was not exactly true. A lot had happened. But the recent happenings were not something he wished to share with anyone, ever.

Remembering some of those "happenings", he smirked beneath his mask, his gaze still lingering to the girl sleeping carelessly in front of him. Carefree. As if she had forgotten that she was in the very same room as her one true enemy and worst nightmare.

Suddenly, he realized something that made him frown. If the Avatar was able to sleep this peacefully, knowing that she resided in her arch enemy's private bedroom, she was not fearing him enough. She should not be able to sleep here at all. She should be shivering in the corner, her face pale and famished from lack of food and sleep.

He had not broken her yet; had not tortured her enough. He needed her mind in pieces like shattered glass. But he had time enough; there were still a few weeks until his plans came to an end, and the Avatar would be destroyed forever.

**-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-**

The sizzling sound of the shower promised Korra that Amon was now fully occupied.

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the couch soundlessly and assessed the room like many times before. The door to the bathroom was closed but not locked. She was certain that it was a mistake that he had left the door unlocked. Or maybe it was a security thing, she realized. If she were to do something against the leader's wishes, he would not have to struggle with the lock in the rush this way. Korra could not deny that the thought made her a bit nervous. It was as if he expected her to do something drastic soon.

She shook her head. Of course he did not suspect anything. It was highly unlikely that he was even aware of the fact that he had forgotten to maintain her chi-block. Doing such thing on purpose was the most idiotic thing he could do right now, anyway. He would never risk the safety of his mission like this.

Korra sighed, trying to calm herself. She was over-thinking everything. The adrenaline had started to pump through her system already at the reminder of her soon-to-come attempt at an escape. She needed to keep her cool until Amon had left and he was too far away to stop her in time. She just had to wait a few more minutes, she estimated.

Lying back down, she closed her eyes again, re-adjusting the book onto her chest. Behind her lids she imagined how Amon was looking right now, in the shower. She stopped herself before the images turned too vivid, and she felt shame.

_I am soon out of here. Then everything will be back to normal_, she promised herself.

It was funny, really, how Amon was acting around her these days. Mere minutes ago he had been standing less than two metres from her sleep-faking form. She had not seen him, but his presence had been crystal clear to her. His scent had become too familiar for her to not notice. She had heard his calm breaths behind his mask, had felt the floor shift under his feet. And the sound of the carpeted wooden floor creaking beneath him was unmistakable.

But the question was what had been going through his mind the long moment he had been standing there observing her soundlessly. Devious thoughts of any kind?

_Guaranteed_, her inner snorted bitterly. _There is nothing besides deviousness in that man._

And yet, why was she feeling like this when she thought about him naked in the shower? Ashamed and disgusted. And uncontrollably giddy.

_Soon_, she reassured herself with a frown.

Barely had her grimace eased before she heard the door swing open. She just accurately kept her body from reacting to the sudden interruption, forcing herself to seem asleep.

Amon crossed the floor and went to the dresser next to the couch. The damp smell of his skin hit her nostrils like a wave, and she realized – much to her terror – that the man was in fact naked. Or almost. She dared not peek to find out. Either way, it seemed that he had fallen for her trick. Had he known she was indeed awake, he would probably never have walked out unclothed. Heck, she doubted he was even wearing his mask right now.

_Cannot look_, she told herself, trying to ignore the sudden temptation. _I will just end up revealing myself_.

This situation did not help on her adrenaline level, either. Soon she found her blood rushing past her ears, making it difficult for her to pick up the faint sound of the man as he moved across the floor again.

The click of the door made her sigh in relief, although she could not quite relax yet. In fact, she could not relax until the moment she could set foot outside without having to worry about the masked rebellion who had sworn to make her life a living hell.

The following minutes seemed to be the longest minutes of her life.

Amon returned, now dressed in his usual uniform. As he passed the seemingly sleeping girl, he watched her thoughtfully for a brief moment, as if deciding something. Korra tried not to freak out over the endless possibilities of what kind of decision the man could just have made. So far she could only deny the possibility of it being a fair one. And it certainly involved her. But she was not waiting around to find out what it was.

With a quickly pumping heart, Korra listened impatiently as Amon left the room and locked the door from the outside. She held her breath to hear as he went down the stairs in a tauntingly slow pace.

She counted to ten in her head. And then she threw the blanket off her body, sending the book flying in the process. She did not care the least about the mess. Now was the chance she had waited for for so long.

She went to the door, letting her finger tips glide over the cool metal of the lock, assessing. The best way was to try and unlock it without force.

Taking stance, she drew on a tiny snake of water from the still steamy bathroom, relieved to find her control even better now than before. Untroubled, the water penetrated the keyhole and turned in the mechanism. She bit her lip in concentration. The lock would only open if she moved the right gears the right way.

It seemed to take forever, but finally she heard the characteristic click. The sight of the door gliding open before her made her flash a victorious smile, although she knew it was dangerous to celebrate anything this soon. She was not out yet.

Throwing cautious glances around in the hallway, she concluded that her timing was perfect. She slipped out from the room and headed towards the staircase, bringing the bubble of water with her just in case she would need it again.

She descended the stairs carefully, her heart now pounding so hard in her chest that she was afraid she was going to throw up. But it did not stop her. She was breaking free. Finally.

A couple of male voices from downstairs made her catch her breath and press her back against one wall as she continued down. But the voices faded gradually, and Korra praised herself lucky that the men had passed the stairs already.

The many voices from her right side reminded her of the way to the canteen. There was no doubt that she needed to turn left in the hallway beneath her. Anywhere that led her away from the Equalists and their devilish leader meant her freedom, even if she had to break down a wall or two to get outside. By then she would already be too far away for Amon to stop her.

She could not help but run down the last steps, the eagerness too much for her to suppress anymore.

A flash of black and white made it to her brain, but she did not intend to react on unimportant visual fragments. Especially not now.

And thus, she darted right into a firm chest.

Korra did not need to look up to identify the person. In the back of her mind, she had already recognized his musky scent.

She knew she had lost already. She had lost to him so many times by now.

And yet, all she could do was run as she forced herself to swallow the bile that had gathered in the bottom of her throat.

Behind her, Amon dropped the tray with food, the porcelain shattering at his feet, and darted straight for the escaping Avatar.

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_**Do you think I am writing too much about Asami?**_

_I really did not realize how big a role I've given her (heck, her "screen time" is close to surpassing Korra's in these later chapters, I believe.) And this fan fiction is about Korra, as you know. I don't want to waste your time with Asami stuff if you really don't care. I've read quite a few fan fics where supporting characters get a lot of screen time, and mostly I hate it. I mean, no author/writer can be sure that the readers love all the characters of the series equally. And when I want to read a fan fiction about Korra and Amon, I, personally, would not like this much Asami screen time... (shrugs)._

_**What do you think? Please leave a Review and let me know!**_


	17. Bloodbender

_**First off:** I have read your comments about the amount of Asami screen time, and I have decided to moderate it from now on. Thank you for your responses!_

_**Actual:** This is a rather short update, full of action and topped off with a slightly saucy Amorra scene. I hope this will keep you satisfied until the next big slice of lemon – which is close, I hereby reveal. _

_Love you all!_

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**Chapter 17: Bloodbender**

_Run!_

That was everything Korra's mind could come up with. Although the girl had been trained most of her life to be able to handle stressing situations and think clearly through fights, this was all she could process when it finally mattered more than anything.

Had anyone seen her, they would have labeled her a coward. The Avatar did not _run_ from anything, let alone a fight. The identity of the opponent did not matter. She should be staying and fighting, defending her case and her people, and had it been any other man she probably would. But there was something about that marked porcelain mask that forced terrified thoughts into her head in situations like these. And all she could do was run like a little girl.

The sound of Amon's footsteps grew louder in her ears for every passing moment. He was catching up with her; was catching her again.

_No_, Korra's inner said suddenly._ I do not have to run. I can do this._

She had no idea why she was changing her mind all of a sudden. It felt as if her survival instinct was contradicting itself. Running and hoping to get out in time seemed to be the best shot she had at freedom, but still something inside her begged her not to give up just yet. She was strong. And she needed to prove herself and Amon this.

Using her foot against the wall, she managed to somersault and turn her body toward Amon as she skidded to a halt, one hand supporting her upper body on the floor and the other still holding the small amount of water she had brought with her from her prison.

Delighted to see that nobody had heard them and come to assist their leader, Korra smiled inwardly. It was just the two of them. As long she did not have to divert her focus from one opponent to another, she had a fair chance. At least that was what she told herself.

Amon skidded to a halt as well, surprised to find the Avatar standing up to him yet again. Why was she not running? She should be running in fear. After all, she knew what he could do to her. And yet, there she was, watching him with narrowed teal eyes glinting with ferocity.

He was struck by ambivalence. At some point he liked the challenge she offered him, and yet he hated that she was not fearing him enough to give up already.

But mostly, he enjoyed her flash of defiance.

Amon took a fighting stance, one hand resting behind his back and one hand in front of him. He bended his knees to allow his body flexibility.

Korra's first move was to freeze the small amount of water in her palm into ice darts, which she sent flying toward the man's chest. As Amon fended the attack off with a swift move of his body, Korra took the moment to raise the floor behind him, closing the hallway off and separating them from the surrounding threats that was soon to emerge.

Amon did not need to turn his head to figure out what had just happened. He smirked beneath his mask.

"Wise move," he said. "But also very foolish of you."

Korra cursed inwardly when she remembered what card Amon could play once they were alone. His triumph card.

In desperation, she sent bolts of fire toward him, once again trying to create a diversion. Amon threw himself sideways to avoid the raging flames aimed for his face, his shoulder crashing into the stone wall in the process.

As the Avatar, there was a lot of things Korra knew about bending. One of these things was that only the most skilled people could bend something they could not see. A friend of Avatar Aang, the girl named Toph – who was also the mother of Lin Beifong – had been one of the few benders developing this ability, which had passed down to Lin herself. It was a technique passed from bender to bender, among them Tenzin, Korra's own teacher. And for the very first time in her life, Korra believed that this technique might turn out to be the one move which would save her ass.

The moment after she had sent those fireballs toward her opponent, Korra leaped back a bit and created yet another column in the floor, this one between Amon and herself, trapping the man inside a little room.

She would be damned if Amon were among those few who were skilled enough to bend blindly, but she honestly did not think so. Although he mastered the technique of Blood bending, he was not necessarily a skilled bender. Blood bending was a specialization of Water bending. Blind bending originated from Earth bending. It was highly unlikely that someone like him had managed to infuse the technique with another element. She hoped she was right.

Korra did not like what came next. The killing part. Honestly, she preferred to not kill at all, but in a case like this she considered if anyone would gain anything from Amon being left alive. The man was dangerous and uncontrollable. There was only one way to get rid of him, it seemed.

And thus, Korra closed her eyes and focused, seeing her surroundings for her inner eye. She saw the walls around her, the walls that continued down the hallway and provided half of Amon's current cell. Bending her knees, she moved her arms, muscles flexing beneath her tanned skin as she willed the walls around Amon to move inward. They would crush him entirely.

Holding her breath, she awaited the sound of finality.

But it never came.

Instead, she was kicked off her feet by a piece of stone crashing into her stomach. She shrieked in surprise, having not seen anything because of her closed eyes. Before her, Amon had broken through the stone blockage with just a single kick.

Cursing loudly, Korra climbed to feet and backed away from Amon, who was now reeking of killer intent as he slowly strode toward her. It was clear to him what she had just been trying to do.

"It seems that you are not fully aware of the advantages of Blood bending," he laughed in a tone that was not amused at all. "You know, I can control my own blood as well."

No further explanation was needed. Korra quickly realized that the man in front of her was able to strengthen his own muscles through bending. It was truly impressive that he had managed to polish the skill of Blood bending this much on his own. But it was no time to be impressed, Korra knew. It was time to be sickly horrified.

As she backed away from the masked man, Korra sent chunks of crushed stone flying in his direction. Most of them were dodged skillfully, the rest were simple shattered against his arm guards. Again, Korra was amazed by how casually Amon managed to bend, as if Blood bending was a power of his mind and not a form of physical manipulation of the elements. Any other man would have his arm crushed by such treatment. After all, she was bending with a lot of force, although it was far from her entire strength. Had she not been partially chi-blocked still, she would have attacked him with such speed and force that not even Blood bending could prevent his bones from shattering by the impact. But she had to manage with whatever amount of power she had at the moment.

"So, when are you going to give up? You know you cannot possibly win in your current state," Amon spoke calmly as he deflected a few more flying rocks, the smirk on his mask reflecting the one on his lips.

"Do not keep your hopes up," Korra answered bitterly, still backing away. Did he really think she would surrender now? His tricks did not scare her.

Well, that was not exactly true. But she tried not to be intimidated by his psychotic abilities. Fear was the first large step toward defeat.

Amon snorted, amused by the feisty facade the Avatar was carrying in situations like these. Indeed she was an interesting person. She was a game he intended to win; a mind he wished to break, a soul he longed to damn. And a person he wanted to own. The Avatar was such a great trophy to win in this war.

In a time like this, Korra hated the fact that she was still unable to Air-bend. The blocked hallway resulted in no accessible water supply, and all she had was Fire and the floor and walls to destroy and manipulate. And Earth bending seemingly did not work as long Amon was countering her attacks with his own bending. Left was only Fire bending, which was the element with less variation. It was entirely offensive, and all she really could do was throw fire and flames in his direction. Nothing to push him over with, nothing to freeze him, nothing to force him away; merely simple attacks to dodge. And he was just as good ad dodging physically as he was verbally. Maybe this was why he was such a great threat to her kind. A fighter and a politician in one person was never to be meddled with.

By now, the sound of several Equalists trying to break down the barriers Korra had created caught their attention. Yet again a victorious smile crooked the corners of Amon's lips.

"It seems you are running out of time, Avatar."

Korra cursed under her breath. All she had done this far was cornering herself, really. All physical attempts seemed futile against him in this situation. This fight begged for a new approach.

"I am willing to make a deal," Korra said suddenly, stopping her feet from taking her backwards. Amon's eyebrows rose in disbelief. He had not expected the Avatar to be willing to negotiate, especially not when she had nothing left to trade. But he wanted to hear her naive solution out before ending their fight entirely.

Nodding for her to continue, Amon stopped moving too. Korra sighed soundlessly, gathering courage.

"What if I could promise you a permanent seat in the City Council in exchange for my freedom and the promise that you will stop your bender hunt immediately?"

Amon thought her words through. Not that he considered her offer the least, but he wondered why she really thought she could give him her part of the deal.

"I do not believe you have the authority to grant me a seat in the City Council. And what makes you think that I will ever give up on my ideology? After all, I am not looking for world domination," Amon spoke coolly. "Not entirely, anyway."

"I just believe there is a reasonable solution to this problem," Korra continued with a shrug. "A solution that benefits your kind and mine altogether."

"Do not make me laugh, girl," Amon replied with a snort, allowing himself forward to stop right in front of the Avatar. "There _is_ no solution that will please both of us. Only one of us can win this war."

Before Korra managed to reply, Amon had raised his knee to strike her in the stomach. She was sent flying backwards to the wall, the back of her head taking most of the blow against the massive concrete. For half a second she went out.

When she opened her eyes again, he was on her, pinning her to the floor with an arm pressing on her throat and his knees forcing her arms down. He felt as she tried to wriggle her arms free and gasped for air, her eyes clenched shut as she bit down on her lip hard. It was a beautiful sight, he concluded, savouring the fear her face showed.

"You see?" Amon said in an almost whisper, his golden eyes watching her intensely. "There is no way I am giving up. You are mine already. Nothing you can give me is worth your freedom anymore."

_True. Because you have taken it already_, Korra thought, feeling a bitter anger taking over as she reminded herself of his hour of need, of his uninvited rough hands on her skin.

Groaning defiantly, she summoned flames to her palms and moved them as close to his legs as possible, forcing the man to move away. He used his hands to push himself back onto feet to avoid being burned. Meanwhile, Korra fought to climb to feet. She was not fast enough, however.

In a swift move, Amon took control over her body, his hold over her blood and veins strong enough to lift her from the ground and throw her against the other wall. Again she hit her head, just enough for it to start bleeding this time. The air was knocked out of her lungs as her spine cracked sickly.

She was coughing by the time he reached her. With a strong hold around her throat, Korra was lifted up again and pressed against the wall, blood from her wound smearing onto the stone surface. Amon then let his mask rest against the girl's shoulder, the cold porcelain sending a shiver through her body.

"Give up, Korra," the man whispered, nuzzling his nose against the sensitive skin of her neck. "You are not going anywhere until I let you. There is no need to fight for freedom when we both know you would come back looking for me eventually anyway. You need me just as much as I need you."

Korra froze, a weird sensation tingling in her belly. This was the first time she had heard him say her name. She had believed that he did not know it, or perhaps that he refused to use it. But here he was, murmuring her name tenderly, saying that they needed each other. For a moment, his change in behaviour made her feel things which she would rather not be feeling, but she quickly pushed his words aside.

"I do not _need you_," she hissed back. Grabbing his wrist that still held her throat, she dug her nails into his arm, watching him as he did not even flinch at her ferocious attack.

Amon held back a laugh. It was ridiculous that she denied their mutual need; just as ridiculous as all the times he had told himself that he did not need the Avatar at all. Now he knew it was a lie. He wanted her more than ever, and not only for his plan. And he refused to believe that this was one-sided. Her sweet and lusty moans, her hand grabbing his hair to force their lips closer as she rolled her hips against his – those were actions and wants of her own. She could tell herself one lie after another, claiming her independence, but in the end he knew she was just as addicted.

He would remind her.

Using his body to pin her to the wall, Amon allowed one hand to slide into her pants. Golden eyes watched the girl intensely as a finger slipped inside of her; she winced, but not in pain. The moan rolling in her throat was close to exposing itself, but it was contained just accurately. Amon knew it was there, however.

"What are you doing?" Korra hissed lowly, wriggling in discomfort. This was no time for such activity. But Amon seemed to think otherwise.

"Proving you wrong," the man said darkly, his voice betraying the smirk beneath his mask.

Korra could have groaned at his never-ending stubbornness. He was always out to prove her wrong about something, or at least make her uncomfortable. Right now was no exception. She just knew that if he continued like this, it would not feel uncomfortable much longer. She knew very well where it led.

But just as Amon was about to slip in another finger to start his game entirely, the sound of the outer wall breaking down reached their ears.

Withdrawing his hand, Amon chuckled to himself. His laugh was rather unamused, however.

"Saved by the people you call enemies. How ironic," the man spoke and dropped the Avatar, letting her fall to the floor. "But it is not over yet."

Grabbing her by the hair, he forced her back straight. Expertly he blocked her chi-paths with a series of quick stabs. She had no time to shield her face as she was thrown back onto the floor.

The final barrier was broken down by a group of Equalist recruits, the Lieutenant in the front. Of course. He was always there for their leader, Korra noticed bitterly. And yet the poor man had no idea what his boss was actually spending his time doing.

"Sir," several young people exclaimed as they ran to approach Amon. The Lieutenant followed them silently, watching the area and assessing the damages rather than focusing on Amon, who was, unsurprisingly, unharmed.

"What happened?" the Lieutenant asked finally, observing as the Avatar struggled slightly to climb to her feet. Barely had she straightened her body when several Equalists grabbed her and wrung her arms to her back painfully. The girl hissed in pain, but nobody responded with compassion.

"Do not worry. Everything has been taken care of now," Amon spoke coolly as he passed the small group of people gathered before him. "Bring the Avatar to my room, and make sure the door is locked. I will be in my office."

Just before he disappeared through the hole in the nearest barrier, he stopped and turned to look at everybody.

"Oh, and make sure somebody cleans up the mess by the stairs."

Korra shook from a mixture of emotions as she watched Amon disappear silently; strongest was the feeling of total defeat.

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_Once again, thank you for reading. I hope this made up for the large amount of Asami screen time._

_See you all in the next chapter!_

_- MAL_


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